PEOPLE OF THE CANYON by Kathleen O’Neal Gear & Michael Gear

June 26, 2020

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A Novel of North America’s Forgotten Past, Book 26

From the publisher:

In People of the Canyons, award-winning archaeologists and New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Kathleen O’Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear bring us a tale of trapped magic, a tyrant who wants to wield its power…and a young girl who could be the key to save a people.

In a magnificent war-torn world cut by soaring red canyons, an evil ruler launches a search for a mystical artifact that he hopes will bring him ultimate power―an ancient witch’s pot that reputedly contains the trapped soul of the most powerful witch ever to have lived.

The aged healer Tocho has to stop him, but to do it he must ally himself with the bitter and broken witch hunter, Maicoh, whose only goal is achieving one last great kill.

Caught in the middle is Tocho’s adopted granddaughter, Tsilu. Her journey will be the most difficult of all for she is about to discover terrifying truths about her dead parents.

Truths that will set the ancient American Southwest afire and bring down a civilization.

The authors are professional archeologists and have carried their professions into their many books depicting life in bygone eras and places. Their forte is the ease in which they bring characters used in their novels to life; speaking and acting as they might have done based on the author’s knowledge of the time and place. The current book is set in the little-known Fremont culture that existed millennia ago in the American great Southwest.

A young girl is cast into the position of saving her people from falling into the hands of a despot using the area of religious beliefs to keep control of the people. Bringing out the beliefs of those living in the area and in the prehistoric time depicted the authors bring to life a society growing from hunter-gatherers to the evolution of living in towns and building cities. Their beliefs include the view of inanimate objects containing spirits that control life and death and death involving a journey to a central place where they meet with those that predeceased them and a hierarchy of shamans that can both kill and bring life back to people.

The shaman looking for consolidation of his power is seeking a pot that is reputed to contain the spirit of the most powerful witch that ever lived. Once he has this artifact, he plans to use the witch to obtain control of the people. Opposing him is Tocho, an elder who is aided by the daughter of the deceased rulers of the area. She has the legal claim to take over as ruler due to her being the rightful heir to the position.

The plot is aided by the discovery by the girl of terrifying truths about her parents. At the same time, the authors’ professional work as archeologists allows them to shape the actions and conversations of the characters in a manner that has a good possibility of being closer to the likelihood of being accurate.

6/2020 Paul Lane

PEOPLE OF THE CANYON by Kathleen O’Neal Gear & Michael Gear. Forge Books (June 23, 2020). ISBN: 978-1250176202. 320 pages.

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NOTHING COMPARES TO THE DUKE by Christy Carlyle

June 25, 2020

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The Duke’s Den, Book 3

From the publisher:

Christy Carlyle concludes her Duke’s Den series with this sparkling romance about two reluctant allies intent on following the rules and breaking every single one.

His Only Regret…

Rhys Forester, the new Duke of Claremont, lives his life by four words: Enjoy All, Regret Nothing. He’s devoted to the pleasure of his wild soirees, reckless behavior, and shocking the ton with his interests in trade. The debts that come with his title don’t fit the carefree lifestyle he’s created and when he’s forced to return to his family’s estate, he’s also forced to confront his one and only regret: the beautiful girl he left behind.

May Be Falling in Love…

Arabella Prescott has been the belle of more balls than she cares to remember. After three seasons and five rejected proposals, she’s done with the marriage mart. Bella’s hopes to live a comfortable life, alone, come crashing down when her parents demand she marry. But her salvation may come in the form of the man she hates the most.

Bella has never forgiven Rhys for what he did to her, but desperate times call for fake engagements. With a few dozen rules, their scheme begins, but it’s not long before the former enemies find themselves breaking every single rule, including the most important of them all: don’t fall in love…

It’s really hard to accept a proposal, no matter how well-intentioned, when your heart belongs to another. And that is the dilemma Arabella faces. While Rhys is a few years older than Arabella, they grew up together, next door neighbors, so to speak. They were best friends throughout their childhood until Arabella catches him with a woman. Her heart is broken, and she thoroughly hates him.

Rhys has been partying hard for several years, but also making good money by investing in businesses he finds interesting. When his father dies, he is forced to go back to the estate. It seems that his father hasn’t been quite as successful at earning. But Rhys has what appears to be some form of dyslexia; he has trouble reading and looking at the rows of numbers in the family ledgers. When they were younger, Arabella always helped him with this sort of thing, so he asks for her help, but she doesn’t want anything to do with the man who broke her heart.

That changes when she realizes the house party her parents have planned is really a last ditch effort to find her a husband. She doesn’t want to marry anyone, all she wants to do is get her book of puzzles published. Her parents have this amazing opportunity to live in Greece for a few years, but they won’t leave unless she is married. Distraught, Arabella decides to make a deal with Rhys: she will help him with the ledgers, but he has to pretend to want to marry her. If they are engaged, her parents will be satisfied, and they can break up eventually.

Enemies to love and the fake engagement are wildly popular themes in romances, for a good reason. It works. Doubling up on these just adds to the tension. The Victorian era is interesting, the witty dialogue is fun, and yes, they have sex. These characters are well developed and I couldn’t help but root for them to find their happy ending. Christy Carlyle gives us another good read.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE DUKE by Christy Carlyle. Avon (May 26, 2020). ISBN 978-0062854018. 368 pages.

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HEAD OVER HEELS by Hannah Orenstein

June 24, 2020

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From the publisher:

Named a best beach/summer read by O, The Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Parade, PopSugar, Marie Claire, Bustle, and more!

From the author of the Love at First Like and Playing with Matches, an electrifying rom-com set in the high stakes world of competitive gymnastics, full of Hannah Orenstein’s signature “charm, whimsy, and giddy romantic tension” (BuzzFeed).

The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri.

Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.

Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jasmine Guillory, Head Over Heels proves that no one “writes about modern relationships with more humor or insight than Hannah Orenstein” (Dana Schwartz, author of Choose Your Own Disaster).

I read Orenstein’s Love at First Like last year, and I wasn’t a fan, mostly because I didn’t like her main character. But I received this new one, it looked interesting, her publicist raved, so I gave it a try. I am happy to report I liked this book a lot.

It might have something to do with the Olympics being postponed; I feel like that gave me even more empathy for these characters, even though they are living in a parallel universe. In their world, there is no Covid-19, the Olympics are in Tokyo this summer, and all the events leading up to it are right on schedule. That may have been the thing I liked most about it – seeing characters living a normal life!

I really liked Avery; she has had a hard life, even though it was from her own choosing. I really enjoyed learning about how an Olympic athlete trains, the way they live, and the work they put into it. I loved how this summed it up: “That’s the gold standard in gymnastics: making the impossible look not just possible, but easy.”

Avery and her best friend Jasmine trained under the abusive, old school, trainer, Dimitri. But Avery had a career-ending injury during Olympic trials, and found herself depressed and at a loss as to how to live her life. Meanwhile, Jasmine ended up with gold medals, the television career, and married to Dimitri. All of that caused a bit of a rift in the friendship, and they haven’t spoken in years.

The Olympic gymnast that both girls had a crush on, Ryan, is training an Olympic hopeful, Hallie, in Avery’s home town. When the professional football star she is living with dumps her, she goes home to her parents and the shrine they have built to Avery’s past glory. That doesn’t help with her depression. So when Ryan calls and offers her a job coaching his prodigy on the floor exercise, where Avery excelled, she is unsure but gives it a try. That first day she realizes this is what she wants to do.

This book addresses some important problems; there is a scandal involving the top doctor in gymnastics when several girls come forward, stating he sexually abused them. The emotional abuse that some trainers heap upon their gymnasts is also addressed. The tension and pressure that an Olympic-level gymnast is under is excruciatingly portrayed, adding yet another layer to this story.

To be honest, the romance between Ryan and Avery feels like more of a subplot, but that works here. This was a really interesting story, especially now that there are no Olympics to look forward to this summer. I read this in one night, and it was a really good read. I highly recommend it.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HEAD OVER HEELS by Hannah Orenstein. Atria Books (June 23, 2020). ISBN 978-1982121471. 336 pages.

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ELIZA STARTS A RUMOR by Jane L. Rosen

June 23, 2020

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

From the publisher:

The author of Nine Women, One Dress delivers a charming, unforgettable novel about four women, one little lie, and the big repercussions that unite them all. 

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. When Eliza Hunt created The Hudson Valley Ladies’ Bulletin Board fifteen years ago she was happily entrenched in her picture-perfect suburban life with her husband and twin preschoolers. Now, with an empty nest and a crippling case of agoraphobia, the once-fun hobby has become her lifeline. So when a rival parenting forum threatens the site’s existence, she doesn’t think twice before fabricating a salacious rumor to spark things up a bit.

It doesn’t take long before that spark becomes a flame.

Across town, new mom and site devotee Olivia York is thrown into a tailspin by what she reads on the Bulletin Board. Allison Le is making cyber friends with a woman who isn’t quite who she says she is. And Amanda Cole, Eliza’s childhood friend, may just hold the key to unearthing why Eliza can’t step out of her front door.

In all this chaos, one thing is for sure…Hudson Valley will never be the same.

Funny, romantic, raw, and hopeful, this is a story about being a woman and of the healing power of sisterhood.

Nine Women, One Dress was one of my favorite books back in 2016, so I’ve been waiting a long time for a new one. I am happy to say it was worth the wait.

This story is told via the four women, and I admit I had a bit of trouble remembering who was who for a while. But eventually it all clicked and the rest of the book just flew by.

I really liked the characters. Two of the women are older, with almost grown children, and two of them are young, with new babies. They all become friends when Eliza starts a rumor on her bulletin board about what she sees next door, plus a healthy dash of imagination. Eliza is afraid her bulletin board isn’t relevant anymore when she learns about a newer, hipper bulletin board targeting pretty much the same audience, the women of this NY suburb. When the rumor goes viral, she is satisfied until she learns about the havoc she’s created.

There are cases of mistaken identity which add to the fun (and occasional confusion!) but the story moves fast as things progress. Eliza suffers from agoraphobia (and let me tell you, I can relate right now!) and has been hiding it from her family with the help of her best friend, Mandy. They grew up together but Mandy has been living in California with her famous producer husband until he becomes part of the #metoo movement. She takes the kids and moves back east, just in time to rekindle the dormant relationship between the friends.

I couldn’t help but root for all the characters, and there was even a touch of romance which I very much enjoyed. Rosen really knows how to write a charming story, but still manages to touch on some important topics.  This is another terrific read from an author I wish would write faster!

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ELIZA STARTS A RUMOR by Jane L. Rosen. Berkley (June 23, 2020). ISBN 978-0593102084.
320 pages.

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SUNRISE ON HALF MOON BAY by Robyn Carr

June 20, 2020

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From the publisher:

Sometimes the happiness we’re looking for has been there all along…

Adele and Justine have never been close. Born twenty years apart, Justine was already an adult when Addie was born. The sisters love each other but they don’t really know each other.

When Addie dropped out of university to care for their ailing parents, Justine, a successful lawyer, covered the expenses. It was the best arrangement at the time but now that their parents are gone, the future has changed dramatically for both women.

Addie had great plans for her life but has been worn down by the pressures of being a caregiver and doesn’t know how to live for herself. And Justine’s success has come at a price. Her marriage is falling apart despite her best efforts.

Neither woman knows how to start life over but both realize they can and must support each other the way only sisters can. Together they find the strength to accept their failures and overcome their challenges. Happiness is within reach, if only they have the courage to fight for it.

Set in the stunning coastal town of Half Moon Bay, California, Robyn Carr’s new novel examines the joys of sisterhood and the importance of embracing change.

I haven’t read a new Robyn Carr book in what feels like a long time. I love her series, and when I discovered her, I read all of her series books and a few standalones. I recently watched the Netflix series based on her Virgin River books, and it was a bit of a disappointment. I loved those books and I thought enough time had passed so that I wouldn’t notice any egregious changes. I was wrong. But I was very happy to find this new standalone book.

Carr’s books fall into the romance and/or women’s fiction genres, and while this one has a bit of romance (I think most women’s fiction books do) that is not the focus. Instead, it is on the sisters and their relationship with each other. It is understandable that they are not especially close due to the twenty year age difference. Addie is the younger sister and has spent many years taking care of her sick parents. Once they pass, she is at a bit of a loss as to what to do with her life. She is still young, but never finished college.

Justine is a successful, workaholic lawyer, has children who are cared for by their stay-at-home dad. He works a bit in sales, but their income is largely based on Justine’s career. This has worked for them, until Addie spots her brother-in-law making out with a woman that is definitely not her sister. Justine is forced to face her husband’s infidelity and hires a private detective to find proof.

The sisters end up living together and form a new relationship and that twenty year difference doesn’t seem so important anymore. I enjoyed watching them grow and change, and was very glad for their happy endings. Carr is just a terrific storyteller. This was a quick read, and I recommend it.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUNRISE ON HALF MOON BAY by Robyn Carr. MIRA; Original edition (April 14, 2020). ISBN 978-0778309482. 336 pages.

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WHEN YOU WISH UPON A ROGUE by Anna Bennett

June 20, 2020

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Debutante Diaries, Book 3

From the publisher:

A New York Times Book Review Summer Read Pick!

Once upon a time in Anna Bennett’s When You Wish Upon a Rogue, three young ladies vowed to record their first London seasons and to fill in the gaps of their educations.

She knows what she wants.

Miss Sophie Kendall is happiest arranging the secret meetings of the Debutante Underground, a group of women who come together to discuss the weekly advice column The Debutante’s Revenge. What makes Sophie most unhappy is her impending march down the aisle to a man she does not love. But her family’s finances are in increasingly dire straits.

He makes an offer she can’t refuse.

Henry Reese, Earl of Warshire, hasn’t slept in weeks. Desperate to escape his manor house and its haunting memories, he heads for one of his abandoned London properties. There he meets a beautiful, intriguing woman―trespassing. Reese is far less interested in Sophie’s search for a secret meeting spot than he is in her surprising ability to soothe his demons. So he strikes a bargain with her: his shop in exchange for spending one night a week with him.

Is this love for real―or just a dream?

Sophie never expected this to happen. But she cannot deny the fire Reese sparks in her―and soon their shared desire burns bright. Sophie is irrevocably promised to another. But maybe these two ill-fated lovers can find a way to risk it all―all the way to happily ever after…

This author was new to me and once again I find myself reading a new series out of order. I poked around and found the first book in this series, The Duke Is But a Dream, hiding on my Kindle so I will read that one next. This was a good read even though I definitely knew I was missing information.

Sophie’s family has arranged a marriage for her to a nice looking man, but she feels nothing for him. She has been putting him off but agrees to announce their betrothal before the season ends. Her father drinks and has lost quite a bit of money leaving her family in dire straights. This marriage is the way to fix that and Sophie feels that responsibility keenly.

Sophie and her friends run a newspaper column discussing various women’s issues of the day. Sophie also runs a women’s group, when they discuss the weekly column. The group has been growing and they need a larger space. This is a secret group, known only to the women who go as men would shut it down immediately. Sophie finds an empty store nearby and meets the owner. He has some serious health issues that sound like PTSD, of course, undiagnosed and untreated. He suffers from insomnia, but spending time with Sophie allows him to sleep. He makes her a deal; she must spend the night with him once a week and then she can use the space she needs.

This was a definite stretch for me to accept this premise, but I did and it was a good story. There is a bit of sex, some humor, and interesting characters. Nothing really new here but why reinvent the wheel when it works perfectly well. At least well enough for me to read more from this author.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WHEN YOU WISH UPON A ROGUE by Anna Bennett. St. Martin’s Paperbacks (May 26, 2020). ISBN 978-1250199508. 336 pages.

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DANCE AWAY WITH ME by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

June 19, 2020

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From the publisher:

At long last, the legendary New York Times bestselling author returns with a heartfelt novel of womanhood, a wild heart, and the healing power of love.

Run, run, as fast as you can!

When life throws her one setback too many, midwife and young widow Tess Hartsong takes off for Runaway Mountain. In this small town high in the Tennessee mountains, surrounded by nature, she hopes to outrun her heartbreak and find the solace she needs to heal.

But instead of peace and quiet, she encounters an enigmatic artist with a craving for solitude, a fairy-tale sprite with too many secrets, a helpless infant, a passel of curious teens, and a town suspicious of outsiders, especially one as headstrong as Tess. Just as headstrong is Ian North, a difficult, gifted man with a tortured soul—a man who makes Tess question everything.

In running away to this new life, Tess wonders— Has she lost herself . . . or has she found her future?

It has been way too long since Susan Elizabeth Phillips has graced us with a book, and the book she finally delivered is terrific, albeit different than her usual; no Chicago Stars, not much in the way of laughs either, but strong characters living their lives, no matter how complicated, and taking us along for the ride.

This is a small town romance of sorts. Tess has lost her husband quite young, and when she finds a cottage to rent on Runaway Mountain, she feels like it must be fate. She deals with her grief by blasting her music and dancing like a maniac, in the yard of her cottage. When Ian, the prickly artist living nearby complains, Tess somehow forms a friendship with his wife. Or at least the women who she assumes is his wife, especially since she’s pregnant.

In her former life, before she lost her husband, Tess was a certified nurse-midwife. She has no interest in doing that again so she takes a part-time job as a barista in the small cafe in town. There she meets the odd assortment of townsfolk, and that is where the little bit of humor is derived. But this is a more serious book, and it takes a dark turn. There are difficult subjects explored here; death, grief, abuse, survivalists, and more.

I don’t want to say much more and spoil it, just know that this is not a light and fluffy read in the least, even though there is a happy ending. I hope we don’t have to wait another two years for a new SEP book.

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DANCE AWAY WITH ME by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. William Morrow (June 9, 2020). ISBN 978-0062973054. 400 pages.

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BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner

June 17, 2020

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From the publisher:

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant, and simply unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all life’s ups and down. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever, Big Summer is the perfect escape with one of the most lovable heroines to come to the page in years.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.

I’m not sure why, but two of my most favorite and reliable summer beach read authors have thrown a murder into the mix. First Mary Kay Andrews did it in Hello, Summer and now Weiner has as well. Is this a new trend? Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing gory here, and no one in their right mind would think of this as a thriller, and I even have a hard time thinking of this as romantic suspense, but there is a body, (which the publisher neglected to include in their synopsis,) so I feel I’ve done my job.

Drue and Daphne were unlikely friends in school; Drue was the uber-popular rich girl, and Daphne was the overweight girl with a few societal outcast type friends. Like high school for many people.  Think “Mean Girls.” Except this is the age of social media, so when Daphne has a very public meltdown in a bar and finally stands up to the mean girl, someone videos it and it goes viral. Just like that Daphne has a new career path as a social media influencer for plus size girls. She also cuts off all contact with Drue.

Years later Daphne is shocked when Drue reaches out and asks her to be her maid of honor. Drue still has that pull over Daphne, and she reluctantly agrees, assuming she will get some great social media numbers if she is posting pictures from the society wedding of the summer. But then that pesky body shows up, changing everyone’s plans.

Weiner has once again given us a great story with believable characters and a typical beach read setting on Cape Cod. I must admit, as a plus-size reader, it is always fun (and usually quite rare) to find a protagonist who looks like me. This is a fast read, often funny, and yes, Daphne also is a romantic heroine who gets her happily ever after. If you are braving the beach, tuck this into your beach bag and enjoy! (I have turned into a complete agoraphobic, and I enjoyed it in my own backyard.)

6/2020 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner. Atria Books (May 5, 2020). ISBN 978-1501133510. 368 pages.

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REBORN YESTERDAY by Tessa Bailey

June 15, 2020

Phenomenal Fate, Book 1

From the publisher:

A timeless love story with bite.

It was a night like any other for funeral home director Ginny Lynn, until the exceptionally handsome—and unfortunately deceased—young man on her embalming table sat up, opened his emerald eyes and changed the course of her life forever, making her feel quite fluttery while he was at it.

Humans aren’t supposed to know Jonas Cantrell, or any vampire, exists. It’s kind of a major rule. Despite his instantaneous bond with perfectly peculiar Ginny, he has no choice but to erase her memories of their one and only meeting.

That was the plan. Before a reluctant Jonas can wipe Ginny’s mind clean, she reveals a secret that brings their worlds crashing together. Human and vampire. Past and present. Darkness and light. And while their love is strictly forbidden, it might be the only thing that can save them…

I have to begin this review by stating that if there is a contest for most beautiful book cover of 2020 then Reborn Yesterday has my vote. Yes, I know the cliché about not judging a book by its cover, but as soon as I saw the enchanting cover art for this title I was sold even before reading the synopsis. In the end though, I found Reborn Yesterday to be a somewhat underwhelming paranormal romance.

The plot itself is fairly straight forward. Mortician Ginny meets vampire Jonas when he ends up in her morgue after a prank gone wrong. They quickly fall in love, but Jonas has enemies who do not want him and Ginny to get their happily ever after. The key statement there is “quickly fall in love”. For me that ended up being the most disappointing element of this title. I feel that Bailey relied a little too heavily on the idea that Ginny and Jonas were “mates”. This is not my favorite element of paranormal romances as it makes it difficult to feel invested in the couple. There was a complete lack of tension or banter between Ginny and Jonas, instead the reader must simply accept that they are madly in love.

Even if the central romance fell a little flat for me, Bailey does a good job of creating a compelling cast of side character. Jonas’ vampire roommates Elias and Tucker, as well as Slayer Roksana. It looks like Bailey plans on giving all three their own books and those characters piqued my interest enough that I would check out future titles in the series. In Reborn Yesterday it seems like Bailey did not get to fully develop the Coney Island setting or the vampire lore for her world, so I also hope to see those elements more fully realized in future installments. Overall, a quirky paranormal that lacks a compelling central romance.

6/2020 Caitlin Brisson

REBORN YESTERDAY by Tessa Bailey. IngramSpark (March 4, 2020). ISBN  9781087857527. 383 pages.

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SPECIAL MEANS by Andrew Ceroni

June 14, 2020

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From the publisher:

CIA agents must play catch-up in time to stop powerful men in Homeland Security and the Defense Department from staging the overthrow of the President and his administration!

Riveting! Escalating gang violence in Denver, Colorado, and in other large cities in the nation captures the attention of the first term President. He wants a solution, and he wants it NOW. Legislation would take years. The Director of Homeland Security suggests that the remedy to the deteriorating situation may be a highly classified program deep within the charter of the Federal Emergency Management Agency-FEMA, known as Annex K. This deep-black program, nicknamed STARDUST, would be executed beneath the heaviest cloak of utmost secrecy and without the knowledge or informed consent of Congress.

When the CIA sends Agent Dave McClure to Denver to investigate inexplicable lethal violence being waged with advanced military weaponry against organized street gangs, McClure discovers that what has been unleashed is a sinister solution far worse than the problem. He unearths a nightmarish plot to do much more than eliminate gangs in America – rather, an attempt to seize the military district of Washington and overthrow the federal government. McClure’s own life is now at especially high risk. The CIA must act quickly and with overwhelming force. The clock is ticking!

Remembering the series of motion pictures starring Charles Bronson about a self-appointed vigilante hunting criminals and executing them will provide a bit of background about Andrew Ceroni’s latest novel. The United States has reached a point at which criminal gangsters and gangs are running wild with no apparent means of controlling them.

A newly elected president calls a meeting of carefully selected advisors and has a group formed composed of highly skilled military. Their mission would be to hunt down and summarily execute gangs. No arrest, no trial, no hearings. When the group is activated, functioning crime does go down in certain areas of the country. The population is ecstatic about what is going on as it is apparent that this vigilante group is doing what the police cannot come to grips with due to the many regulations hindering their work.

Dave McClure, an agent with the CIA who has appeared in prior novels by Ceroni, is sent to investigate. He finds clues to a group of skilled warriors that are plotting to stage a coup and take over the U.S. government. He alerts his supervisors who begin to mobilize forces to go after them. McClure and his fellow agents begin work to find out where the group is hiding and what their plans include. The leadership of the rogue warriors includes a four-star U.S. Army general and does involve highly trained people. Yes, you guessed it, the group formed by the seemingly benevolent actions of the president has changed their course of action to now want to take over the country with them as the leadership.

McClure finds out where the rogue group is, and what they are planning and the CIA sets up a task force to thwart their plans. Along the way, McClure’s wife is threatened with kidnapping and being held to keep her husband from continuing with his plans.

The novel is easy to read, nothing strenuous to grasp, and a feel-good work for the readers. It’s an all-nighter due to the continuous action outlined and the interest of the reader to keep abreast of things. It would be easy to continue to look for and read future books by Ceroni and that is my recommendation after finishing this one.

NOTE: The main character in Special Means works for the CIA. He does domestic assignments. The CIA only handles overseas stuff. I know – but that’s where the author put him. Thanks for reading, Paul.

6/2020 Paul Lane

SPECIAL MEANS by Andrew Ceroni. Outskirts Press (April 18, 2020). ISBN: 978-1977225764. 342 pages.

Kindle

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