Rules of Engagement
5 stars A thrilling read from the first page to the last. Well crafted story, that builds characters and plot. It is an easy read that flows well. This title has been reviewed by www.Books-Reviewed.weebly.com This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review. #TheEndOfTheLine #NetGalley
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The End of the Line
by Gray Williams 1 star The flow of the story lacks cohesion, making it a difficult book to read. I found the plot it hard to follow, and the characters lacked depth. With the characters becoming confusing from early in the book. When her criminal crew decide to hire an Abra to help with their heists, they don’t expect to raise a demon, or to quickly lose control of it. Now Coleman and her crew must travel across Siberia to a remote stone circle in order to kill this murderous creature, who has destroyed everything they hold dear. But as the demon’s power grows, a battle of wills commences. Coleman must fight to survive, facing demons both in chains and within herself. This title has been reviewed by www.Books-Reviewed.weebly.com This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review. #TheEndOfTheLine #NetGalley Goodbye Paris
By Mike Bond 3 stars Perhaps Mike Bond best title Fast flowing plot, with plenty of action The story line wanders at times, and a good edit would clean this up. Characters are as real as they get for this genre. Special Forces veteran Pono Hawkins races from Tahiti to France to hunt a terrorist, Mustafa al-Boudienne, who may have a nuclear weapon to destroy Paris. Joining allies from US and French intelligence, including a fearless and brilliant French agent, Anne Ronsard, with whom he soon falls in love, Pono faces impossible odds to stop Mustafa before he can destroy the most beautiful city on earth. This title has been reviewed by www.Books-Reviewed.weebly.com This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review. Hard Hit
By J.B. Turner 4 stars Fast paced action thriller. With a fast paced story line, and action on every second page, the latest in the Jon Renshaw Series will not disappoint. The story has great tension between the lead characters, which adds colour to the story. The story flows well and fast, with action continually drawing the reader in. With his daughter lying in the hospital, struck down in a reckless hit-and-run, the only thing Jon Reznick can do is wait—and plot his revenge. Not satisfied with the slow-moving police investigation, he starts his own manhunt. He discovers that the car belongs to a high-ranking diplomat whose interests are closely tied to those of the United States government, and this man may not be what he appears. The FBI wants Reznick to back down, but the more information Jon digs up, the more questions he finds. Was it a simple accident, or is there more to it? How many young women’s lives has this man ruined? Lauren’s life hangs in the balance, and Jon must get answers, no matter the cost—to him or the government. #HardHit #NetGalley The Perfect Wife.
by JP Delaney 2 stars What started out as an interesting drama slowly fizzled, with two interesting twists right at the end. Abbie wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. The man by her side explains that he's her husband. He's a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley's most innovative startups. He tells Abbie she's a gifted artist, a doting mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. The further you read, the harder read it becomes. #ThePerfectWife #NetGalley Little Girls Sleeping (Detective Katie Scott Book 1)
by Jennifer Chase A gripping murder mystery detective story, featuring new detective Katie Scott. When Katie starts digging through some cold cases, she stumbles on some over looked clues that lead to the discovery of two bodies on young girls. An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memories, Katie vows she won’t rest until she discovers what happened to Chelsea. The story catches you from the first to the last page, drawing the reader in. Well written and authentic storyline. #LittleGirlsSleeping #NetGalley The Ex
By Nicola Moriarty 3 stars Advertised as a mystery, but fits better into the drama genre It starts well, but fails to build tension so that the middle of the book is slow and dry. Getting through the middle in hard work, and you have to question if the effort is worth it. A love story with a twist. His former partner wants him back, and will do anything to make it happen. #TheEx #NetGalley Two Victims
By Helen H. Durrant 4 stars An enthralling murder mystery that engages the reader throughout the entire story. Although this is the second in a series, it is easily read on its own, as I did. The characters are self-supporting from the first title. The story line moves along quickly and easily, without various side tracks that are often found in modern books. The book picks up the story of DCI Rachel King. A thirty-nine year-old divorced mother of two teenage daughters. She is good at her job, gets results but does make mistakes. One of them was getting involved with a budding villain in her teens. No one, family, friends or colleagues know anything about this. Detective Rachel King has two victims to deal with. The first woman was local nurse, Agnes Moore. One of the victim’s friends makes contact but then disappears. Does Rachel have a serial killer on her hands? And what was Agnes really helping local girls with? This title has been reviewed by https://books-reviewed.weebly.com/ This title was provided by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an open and honest review. #TwoVictims #NetGalley Falling
by Kris Bryant The book starts strong with drama and tension. However it fades in the middle making the reading tough work. Is it worth the pushing through to the predictable ending? Some will say yes, others like me believe it needs a bit more editing and some more tension. The story line follows a plane crash that pulls together two women directly involved in the crash. There is little tension of any description. Stormy Seas
by Ali Vali 2 stars Slow to build tension, with a confused story line. The story line is rough, lacking the cohesion required to make it a free flowing novel. It also seems confused and wanders along a predictable path. The characters are confusing at best and lack a depth to them. Commander Berkley Levine and Captain Aidan Sullivan might have a life together if they survive the next mission. They’re undercover hunting down a treasonous ex-vice president and the militia he’s assembled to topple the US government, and the twisting trail grows deadlier at every turn. After an assassination and numerous attacks that could only have happened with inside help, they don’t know who they can trust, and the future looks darker than ever. The Boardwalk Option.
By Avery Duff Four stars. The second in the beach lawyer series, sees Robert Worth take on a film making client who has been framed for murder. As he digs for the truth and fights for justice for his client, he draws on his friends and partners for assistance. This fast moving book is a pleasure to read. Duff’s easy style means that it can easily be read in a sitting or over a couple of nights. The plot and characters are well developed and allow for the story to roll. When his pal Reyes needs legal help with his film project, Robert agrees to look into it. The road to Hollywood fame takes a crooked turn after a potential billionaire backer turns up dead in his Brentwood mansion—and Reyes is arrested for first-degree murder. To the Lions
By Holly Watt 1 stars. Slow & Disjoined Some books engage the reader from the first word. Others take a few chapters to draw the reader in. Unfortunately “To the Lions” fails to do either. At least, it fails to engage the reader in the first seven chapters, at which point I gave up. The plot follows a female reporter who tries to expose corruption in government and business, taking her on a journey through Europe and Northern Africa. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #ToTheLions #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Skin Game
By J. D. Allen Boring. After reading the first quarter of the book and not yet finding a hook or a reason to continue reading I gave up. This is the second book in the series, and fails dramatically to reach the same pace or interest as the first. Private investigator Jim Bean has worked hard to create his new identity in Vegas. He doesn't have a great life, but it's his. When his ex-fiancée Erica Floyd walks into one of his investigations looking for her missing sister, the tragic past he wanted to leave behind comes flooding back. Despite serious reservations, Jim agrees to search for Erica's sister. Clues lead him to a human trafficking ring and one of Vegas's most influential mobsters. Unless Jim can face the ghosts of his past, the anger of his present, and a new enemy out for his blood, four women will suffer a fate worse than death There are better things to do with my time then read this book. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #SkinGame #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com A Cold Cold Heart
By John Nicholl 4 stars. Well Written Crime Triller Nicholl has written a Welsh Crime triller that engages from the first word. While the plot is fairly predictable. DI Gravel and his daughter Emily are oblivious to the terrible danger she is in when she accepts a job working for the solicitor Charles Turner. Gravel is on the hunt for a serial killer, who becomes obsessed with Emily. Cold, Cold Heart is an easy read, that keeps the reader engaged from the first to the last page. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #AColdColdHeart #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com The Burglar
by Thomas Perry 3 stars The book starts well, engaging the reading in moving action. It does however get bogged down to a slow read through the middle. While this is trying to build tension – it is just slow. It does however improve the pace building to a climax. Elle Stowell is a young woman with an unconventional profession: burglary. But Elle is no petty thief - with just the right combination of smarts, looks, and skills, she can easily stroll through ritzy Bel Air neighborhoods and pick out the perfect home for plucking the most valuable items. This is how Elle has always gotten by - she is good at it, and she thrives on the thrill. But after stumbling upon a grisly triple homicide while stealing from the home of a wealthy art dealer, Elle discovers that she is no longer the only one sneaking around. Somebody is searching for her. As Elle realizes that her knowledge of the high-profile murder has made her a target, she races to solve the case before becoming the next casualty, using her breaking-and-entering skills to uncover the truth about exactly who the victims were and why someone might have wanted them dead. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #TheBurglar #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Real Tigers
By Mick Herron 3 stars. Gripping Crime Triller. Real Tigers is the third in Herron’ Jackson Lamb spy novels, and he doesn’t let the reader down. Intelligence Officer Catherine Standish has been taken hostage, and believes the reason to be her ties to Jackson Lamb, the only man who can save her. While I found the plot slow to start, the mystery deepened and thickened as the story unravelled. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #RealTigers #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Such Dark Things
By Courtney Evan Tate 3 stars. An engaging start, with a plot that starts well, and fades towards the end. Dr Corinne Cabot is living the American dream. She's a successful ER physician in Chicago who's married to a handsome husband. Together they live in a charming house in the suburbs. But appearances can be deceiving – and what no one can see is Corinne's dark past. Troubling gaps in her memory mean she recalls little about a haunting event in her life years ago that changed everything. She only remembers being in the house the night two people were found murdered. Her father was there, too. Now her father is in prison; she hasn't been in contact in years. Repressing that terrifying memory has caused Corinne moments of paranoia and panic. Sometimes she thinks she sees things that aren't there, hears words that haven't been spoken. Or have they? She fears she may be losing her mind, unable to determine what's real and what's not. So when she senses her husband's growing distance, she thinks she's imagining things. She writes her suspicions off to fatigue, overwork, anything to explain what she can't accept – that her life really isn't what it seems. Good summer reading, but in the end, a book that will be read, and forgotten a week later. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #SuchDarkThings #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com First the Thunder
By Randall Silvis 4 stars. An engaging murder mystery that’s hard to put down. From the first page, Silvis sucks the reader in to a mystery that is hard to put down. Both characters and the plot are believable, and a reflection to real life. The questionable decisions the brothers make, that put them into these difficult situations, flow from realism. Products of their run-down Pennsylvania mining town, three brothers grapple with their lives in decline. Harvey drives a delivery truck; Stevie works odd jobs; and Will is a struggling bar owner whose wife, Laci, is edging toward desperation when her boss offers her more money…for a price. Then, in this tight circle where prosperity is rare—and hope, even rarer—comes a breaking point in a simple but indefensible slight… When Harvey gets shafted by his brother-in-law in a deal over a vintage Indian motorcycle, he enlists the help of Stevie and Will to set things right. But the revenge plan goes awry, and the three men stumble upon a shocking secret that, if revealed, would upend their lives. As they’re crushed under the weight of a nightmarish truth and the damning evidence in their possession, it’s up to Laci to save her family from the coming storm the brothers have wrought. And no one is prepared for the fallout. A well written and thought out mystery, that will have readers coming back for more. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #FirstTheThunder #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Summoned to Thirteenth Grave
By Darynda Jones 3 stars. This is the final episode of Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity—which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer. She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. Now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel. While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. The series has become somewhat repetitive and tired. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley #SummonedToThirteenthGrave Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com The Trouble with Twelfth Grave
By Darynda Jones 3 stars. Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Ever since Reyes Farrow escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley Davidson accidentally trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to right the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up. Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So the question becomes: Can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect? While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. The series has become somewhat repetitive and tired. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
By Darynda Jones 4 stars. Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Now, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, will Charley be able to defeat the ultimate evil and find a way to have her happily ever after, after all? While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com The Curse of Tenth Grave
By Darynda Jones 4 stars. Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. There’s just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers? Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who’s been charged with murdering the daughter of a degenerate gambler, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well… While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com The Dirt on Ninth Grave
By Darynda Jones 4 stars. Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around. But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her-even from her new and trusted friends-the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way. While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Eighth Grave After Dark
By Darynda Jones 4 stars. Darynda Jones fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Charley Davidson has enough going on without having to worry about twelve hellhounds hot on her trail. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape onto our plane, and they've made Charley their target. And so she takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can't get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Of course, if hellhounds aren't enough, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent. Add to that the still unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley's tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full…but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can't traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds. Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they're a scrappy bunch who won't let a few thirsty hellhounds deter them. While the team scours the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve, for a way to kill them or at least send them back to hell, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they've accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. Their presence is comforting. But the good feelings don't last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life…While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com Seventh Grave and No Body
By Darynda Jones 4 stars. Darynda Jones new fiction series combining action, supernatural and romance. Featuring Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Charley sees dead people, and it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out Charley Davidson’s jugular and serve her body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and as she retraces his last steps she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life. But all of that barely scratches the surface of her problems. Recent developments have forced her to become a responsible adult. To conquer such a monumental task, she’s decided to start small. Really small. She gets a pet. But how can she save the world against the forces of evil when she can’t even keep a goldfish alive? A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it. While not my usual genre, I found the books engaging and face paced to keep me picking up title after title. Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. #NetGalley Reviewed by Heath Henwood www.books-reviewed.weebly.com |
AuthorHeath writes reviews regularly for newspapers and magazines. Archives
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