Click to purchase

Rick Cahill Thrillers, Book 3

Matt Coyle introduced the character of Rick Cahill in previous novels making Cahill into a person with a seemingly shady past. First, Rick’s wife was murdered 12 years ago causing Cahill to be arrested and possibly charged with the crime.

Next the La Jolla, California police department, for whom Rick once worked, is looking at him for the possible murder of a missing person. The body has never appeared, but Tony Moretti , the chief of police for La Jolla, is determined to charge and prosecute Rick for the crime.

Cahill is at the point where his seemingly shady past is preventing him from earning a proper living. When he is contacted by Brianne Colton, a beautiful country, western singer to investigate the death of her estranged husband, Rick does so for the opportunity to earn some money. Brianne’s husband’s death has been ruled a suicide by the police, but she thinks that it was murder. She wants Cahill to investigate the situation to find the real cause, if different than police findings.

Taking the case, Rick gradually changes his opinion and does believe the death was murder. He also falls for Brianne and it looks like it is mutual with a romantic set of interludes interlaced with the story taking place.

The plot thickens with both the La Jolla police and the FBI looking to stop the investigation of Brianne’s husband’s death. Police chief Moretti is constantly pursuing Rick for the possible murder he suspects him of and we have an engrossing story, well written, and of course ending with the makings of the next book in this series. Certainly Matt Coyle will intrigue the reader with both the plots and characterizations presented.

12/16 Paul Lane

DARK FISSURES by Matt Coyle. Oceanview Publishing (December 6, 2016).  ISBN 978-1608092260. 416p.

Kindle

Click to purchase

A former religious scholar and teacher who sees gods around him is an unlikely candidate for a PI, and yet Ravi Chandra Singh has not only been recruited by Golden Sentinels, a London-based agency whose clientele are the crème de la crème of society, he’s become an important member of the team.

Ravi’s first big case is one that involves the new candidate for Prime Minister – and it’s a whopper. The man is, for all intents and purposes, squeaky clean and boring. Exactly what his party wants considering recent PM scandals. But he claims he’s being haunted by his ex lover, who visits him at night and… yeah. Ravi is almost certain the man is missing a few screws but knows the case could make or break his career. At the same time, the agency has taken on a local TV personality and author who’s suffering very public harassment, a missing person’s case with an unexpected result, and case involving a banker that takes a dark turn.

While I enjoyed the quirky characters and odd cases, the format of Her Nightly Embrace was not what I expected. Rather than one main case and novel to dip into, this debut in the multi format series is four connected shorts or novellas. And much of the meaty detail I want in a mystery is missing.

It’s hard to review the book alone considering there’s to be both a podcast and TV show to go alongside it. And yet, I want the book to stand on its own. Especially since it’s the first and only piece of the Ravi PI platform to have been released so far. The book is fun but is lacking quite a bit of depth and development. I suspect the stories will work better for TV but we’ll all just have to wait and see.

11/16 Becky LeJeune

HER NIGHTLY EMBRACE by Adi Tantimedh. Atria/Leopoldo & Co. (November 1, 2016).  ISBN 978-1501130571. 320p.

Kindle

Click to purchase

One of the most secret meetings to be held anywhere on earth is the Conclave, established upon the death of a Pope which is called to elect a new leader of the Catholic Church. Robert Harris has written a fascinating account about a Conclave held on the demise of a Pope. He is writing based upon conjecture and supposition since there is no manner that could have granted him the means to learn what really happens.

Beyond this, the novel is a fascinating adventure into a meeting of the Church’s Cardinals summoned from around the world to choose a new Pope. The men assembled are deeply religious, committed to a lifetime of service, and anxious to do what is right in choosing a new Pope. They reflect, pray and hope for divine guidance in making their choice. They are holy men, but do have ambition and many will attempt to influence the choice made.

Harris is very successful in bringing the reader into the mind and thoughts of several of the Cardinals assembled in shaping the events depicted. The man appointed “Dean” by the last Pope is charged with moving the conclave forward. He is a man deeply devoted to his beliefs and to his appointed task of guiding the actions of those present. Several of those in attendance want to be the next Pope and attempt to guide the others into choosing them.

The author introduces the problems that are faced by the Church both at present and in the near future. They must be confronted by both the new Pope and the other senior leaders under him. There is the place for women, the use of local language, not Latin in the litany, and the enmity radical Islam feels towards Christianity in general. Definitely not a dry discourse, but a fascinating study of human nature reacting in a stressful environment.

CONCLAVE by Robert Harris. Knopf (November 22, 2016).  ISBN 978-0451493446. 304p.

Kindle

Click to purchase

Thomas and Emily De Quincey,  Book 3

Morrell brings to a conclusion his well researched trilogy featuring Thomas De Quincey, known as the Opium eater, and his daughter Emily. He brought us into the mid-19th century in England, at a time when Russia was at war with England in the Crimea, and the railroad was in the process of transforming the country and bringing it head long into the Industrial Revolution.

De Quincey was one of the first figures to utilize logic and the finding of clues into solving criminal cases. He was a huge consumer of opium, using the intake of laudanum which was used as a painkiller to imbibe it.

The first death aboard a train was about 25 years before the year 1855, which is when this novel is set. We re-meet De Quincey and Emily when they are aboard a train coming out of London, and discover a horrible murder committed in the next compartment to theirs.

The war against Russia is not very popular in England and the first thoughts are that the killing has been done by a Russian agent. The De Quinceys join forces with friends of theirs at Scotland Yard, Detectives Ryan and Becker. Both of these men have learned much about crime solving from Thomas and also each has an open crush on Emily.

Other murders occur in London with the thought the same that they have something to do with the Crimean war.

In solving the cases, David Morrell ties up some past conflicts for De Quincey and in a literary license manner tied to the truth brings the trilogy to a very satisfying ending. Due to the prodigious amount of research into the period and the people living then, the reader experiences the sights, the smells, and the living conditions for both rich and poor.

Well done, a possible prelude to more historical novels with portraits of the people living then.

11/16 Paul Lane

RULER OF THE NIGHT by David Morrell. Mulholland Books (November 15, 2016).  ISBN 978-0316307901. 352p.

Kindle

Click to purchase

Eve Rossi, Book 2

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is at the center of this New York City thriller. A riot breaks out the night before the parade and Police Commissioner Logan Donovan is shot.

Luckily, it’s not as serious as it first appears, until he realizes that during the confusion, his thirteen year old daughter has been kidnapped. Fearing for her life, he turns to the FBI, specifically to Eve Rossi.

Rossi heads Vidocq, a strictly undercover team of ex-cons with specific skills that can be put to good use here. Then another child is kidnapped, one with serious medical issues.

The kidnapper has several demands and Eve and her team scramble to meet them all, but panic ensues when they realize there may be more than just a kidnapping at stake. This appears to be a personal vendetta against the police commissioner, with possibly horrific consequences for the thousands of people lining the streets for the parade.

This is a worthy follow up to the first Eve Rossi thriller, and should appeal to Linda Fairstein or Meg Gardiner readers.

Copyright ©2016 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff. Bantam (November 15, 2016).  ISBN 978-0425284452. 400p.

Kindle

Audio CD

Click to purchase

Jack Reacher Series, Book 21

In this 21st entry in the hugely popular series, Jack Reacher is still in the Army as it is 1996. That means he’s not wandering and he’s following orders. It also means no internet, no cell phones, no 9/11.

Reacher has been given a medal for his mission in the Balkans, and immediately is ordered to attend night school. But when he gets there, he realizes this is not school at all, but a secret mission.

There are rumors that an American traitor has something to sell to Islamic terrorists for $100 million. Reacher is working with other government agents from the FBI and CIA, along with Frances Neagley (Without Fail.) Of course Reacher takes lead on the case, despite being low man on the totem pole, and eventually figures out what’s going on. This involves an extended stay in Hamburg, Germany with a variety of bad guys popping up.

I found this to be one of the slowest moving books in the series, the action doesn’t really take off until beyond the half way point. It’s an interesting story, especially given the time period, but I’m sorry to say it is not my favorite Reacher book.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NIGHT SCHOOL by Lee Child. Delacorte Press (November 7, 2016).  ISBN 978-0804178808. 384p.

Kindle

Click to purchase

A powerhouse story of men against the sea in the tradition of authors that pioneered the genre such as Jack London. Russia launches the world’s largest supertanker on a secret mission during it’s maiden voyage. The only person with knowledge of what is to be accomplished is the captain.

An engineer discovers a minor defect in the ship’s mechanism and informs the captain. But in spite of attempts to correct the problem a fire erupts and in spite of efforts to control it, it spreads to engulf the entire ship.

Two hundred miles from the stricken vessel, Sonny Wade, the owner of a failing salvage business, is telling his crew that a salvage attempt just completed has not produced any money. The business is not able to continue operations.

Just after he has dismissed his men including his daughter who sails with him and attempts to keep the business going a mayday is received. It is from the Bennkah, the 700,000 ton Russian tanker that is aground and filled with petroleum worth a fortune. The name Bennkah is Russian for Goliath and that is also the Herculean task Sonny seizes as his way out of the financial doldrums his business is in.

Sonny quickly gets the crew together and goes out at an attempt to pick up the Bennkah and in so doing collect the huge amount of money salvaging the ship will bring. But sailing also to grab the prize is Dan Sharp, Sonny’s former employer and currently his nemesis.

The novel is a tale of men arising to great heights in fighting the eternal sea for the prize. The book moves with a rapid pace and is guaranteed to keep the reader transfixed. Sonny’s knowledge and understanding of the ocean and problems and solutions it brings is showcased. A new member of the crew picked up before sailing due to his knowledge of underwater welding provides a love interest for Sonny’s daughter who has had a bad relationship with Dan Sharp’s captain. She fights her attraction but it does let her come to understand that things have a way of working out.

Excellent book and hopefully the beginning of a series.

GOLIATH by Shawn Corridan & Gary Waid. Center Street (October 11, 2016).  ISBN 978-1455530441. 384p.

Kindle