ULTIMATUM by Simon Kernick

September 10, 2014

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Kernick delivers another fast paced engrossing novel concerning an attack on London by a terrorist group. He uses characters from a previous book but without having read that, the allusions to people and events in that book are sufficient to allow the reader to understand enough to enjoy this one as almost a stand alone.

Deputy Commissioner Tina Boyd and Detective investigator Mike Bolt of the London police are brought into the investigation of an explosion in a London cafe set by terrorists who had previously attacked a hotel in. The terrorist,s in a phone call to the authorities, announce another attack in twelve hours time from the cafe atrocity.

William Garrett, nicknamed “The Fox,” captured by Tina after the events in Siege,  indicates that he knows who the bombers are and will only talk to Tina.  He will reveal who they are, but only at a price.

Action is an adrenaline rush from the beginning and doesn’t let up at all. Tina and Mike had had an affair, and while working together seem to be rekindling the spark.  Another book is alluded to be in the offing as events move towards the climax in Ultimatum, and should be as exciting as this one is.
Good read, action packed, and guaranteed to keep the reader up all night and awaiting the next one.

9/14 Paul Lane

ULTIMATUM by Simon Kernick. Atria Books (September 9, 2014). ISBN 978-1476706252. 352p.

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Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE DISTANCE by Helen Giltrow

September 9, 2014

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Charlotte Alton is leading a double life; the well known London socialite is also known in criminal circles as Karla, a fixer who specializes in information of the most sinister kind. Karla can wipe out all traces of a person and conversely can reincarnate them into someone else with a few strokes of a keyboard.

No one knows of her dual identity save one man, Johanssen, who needs her help to break into an experimental prison to kill a woman housed there. Unfortunately, the prison is run by Quillan, a man who would dearly love to kill Johanssen, and Karla can’t find any trace of the targeted woman.

Not only does she need to get Johanssen in, she also has to get him out, at seemingly impossible odds. Determined to keep her client safe, Karla keeps digging and doesn’t like anything she finds.

Most of the characters are duplicitous in this very complex layered story, but Giltrow keeps it tight and moving. The graphic violence and torture has this thriller bordering on horror, like Douglas Clegg or Chelsea Cain books, so be forewarned that it is not for the squeamish.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

9/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DISTANCE by Helen Giltrow. Doubleday (September 9, 2014). ISBN 978-0385536998. 368p.

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ONLY THE DEAD by Vidar Sundstol

September 8, 2014

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Minnesota Trilogy (Book 2)

Translated by Tiina Nunnally

U.S. Forest Service officer Lance Hansen returns in book two of the Minnesota Trilogy. Don’t even attempt this unless you’ve read The Land of Dreams, which made my best books of the year list in 2013. This one will not.

Hansen was investigating the murder of a young Norwegian tourist in The Land of Dreams. A suspect is in custody, but Lance believes in his heart that the murderer is really Andy, his brother, but he can’t bring himself to pursue that avenue. Instead, he and Andy go on their annual November hunting trip along Lake Superior, exchanging few words but a lot of suspicion between them.

Hansen’s ancestor, missionary Thormod Olson, journaled his travails in trying to get to America a hundred years earlier, and excerpts of his journal – and his hallucinations – are interwoven throughout.

This is a very short book, more novella than novel, and unfortunately, there just isn’t a whole lot of plot but it still flows nonetheless. It is dark and beautifully written with spectacular descriptions of the Minnesota forest and the weather, particularly an ice storm, and despite all the description the story moves because the writing is also quite suspenseful.

Readers who enjoy their suspense on the literary side should appreciate this sequel.

Copyright ©2014 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

9/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONLY THE DEAD by Vidar Sundstol. Univ Of Minnesota Press (September 1, 2014). ISBN 978-0816689422.  256p.

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DEAD OF NIGHT by Jonathan Maberry

September 7, 2014

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Dead of Night Series (Book 1)

Stebbins County, Pennsylvania is in for a rough night. With a dangerous storm in their midst, many of the people in the area are unaware of another more pressing danger.

Notorious serial killer Homer Gibbons has recently been executed and has been secretly transported to Stebbins County where his only living relative has insisted on burying him. Locals are unaware of the connection – everyone had thought Gibbons had no living relatives at all – and it’s this change of plan that sets Stebbins County and its citizens on an awful and catastrophic path. See Gibbons isn’t dead, at least not in the traditional sense. Gibbons has been the focus of a very secret and deadly experiment, an infection that will soon be unleashed on an unsuspecting community.

Maberry is a longtime favorite for horror fans. His Pine Deep trilogy is hailed as a phenomenal debut series and his Joe Ledger books are the perfect blend of science fiction, horror, and action. Dead of Night delivers on all fronts – it’s a zombie apocalypse tale that begins with a science experiment gone wrong. Of course everything works together to become a perfect storm for the spread of the zombie plague and before long the fictional Stebbins County is all but done for. But only just – there is a sequel, after all.

While the reader gets a glimpse at many of the area’s inhabitants, the main focuses of the story are Dez Foz, a local cop with a military background and serious abandonment issues, and her ex Billy Trout, a regional newsman. Trout uncovers the truth behind the outbreak just as Dez is facing it down. And as their home gets literally torn apart, they both have to come to terms with the impossible and try and figure out a way of surviving it. Basic zombie apocalypse fare but with a style and flair that’s all Maberry.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

DEAD OF NIGHT by Jonathan Maberry. St. Martin’s Griffin; Original edition (October 25, 2011). ISBN 978-0312552190. 368p.

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VIXEN IN VELVET by Loretta Chase

September 6, 2014

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The Dressmakers, #3

Once again I started a new author in the middle of a series, but with romances it doesn’t really seem to matter. This was originally going to be a trilogy, but a fourth book is in the works.

A book that starts out with the heroine entranced with a Botticelli painting grabs me from the get go. Leonie Noirot, a dressmaker, is at an art exhibit wearing one of her latest creations, in hopes of drumming up business. While the paintings are drawing attention, all the young ladies are there for a different reason – to hear Lord Swanton, writer and reciter of gloomy, romantic poetry that the critics blasted, but the hordes admire.

Swanton’s cousin and closest friend is Simon Blair,  the Marquess of Lisburne. They have been away for a few years, but returned for the end of the London season so Swanton could face his detractors. Turns out, he doesn’t have to with every young woman in town throwing themselves at his feet.

Lisburne, who looks like a Roman god, which Chase points out way too many times, is the owner of the Botticelli painting that has entranced Leonie to the point where she is so out of it, she ends up falling – but right into Lisburne’s arms. The attraction is immediate and the dialogue amusing, and that continues throughout the book.

Leonie is a busy woman, as she constantly points out to Lisburne, with no time for dalliances. He is entranced though, and it is mutual. But Leonie has a dress shop to run, and Lisburne is only in town for a few weeks; can they make it work?

Simon’s cousin is Lady Gladys, a young woman who had a horrific first season. She is plain, frumpy in fact, and has a sharp tongue. Leonie sees her and determines to turn this ugly duckling into a swan. Swanton is entranced with her voice, and she with his poetry, and this is an interesting little subplot. Simon wagers Leonie his Botticelli against two weeks of her uninterrupted time (read into that what you will) that she can’t turn Gladys into a swan, and more to the point, get her a marriage proposal by month’s end, but if she does, the painting is hers.

The love scenes are well done without resorting to cliché, and not too explicit. Leonie’s two sisters were the stars of the first two books in this series, and now I have to go find those and catch up. This was a very enjoyable read, I can see why Chase is so popular.

9/14 Stacy Alesi

VIXEN IN VELVET by Loretta Chase. Avon; Reissue edition (June 24, 2014). ISBN 978-0062100320. 384p.

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ON THE ROCKS by Erin Duffy

September 5, 2014

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Abby and Ben are finally ready to tie the knot. It’s an event everyone has been waiting for – ten years in the making, in fact. But just months before the big date Ben breaks it off. Via Facebook.

Mortified and single once again, Abby is facing a summer as a shut in binging on Ben & Jerry’s. Her friend Grace has other plans, though. A coworker’s summer rental has fallen right into Grace’s lap and offers both of the girls an opportunity to get out of the city and enjoy some fun in the sun. Abby finally agrees, also vowing to hit the dating scene while she’s there. Sadly, a lot has changed in the decade since Abby was last single.

Erin Duffy’s Bond Girl was hilarious and witty, setting the bar quite high for On the Rocks. Fortunately, Duffy’s second release is just as charming and funny as her debut. This time instead of Wall Street Duffy takes on the world of dating, and it’s horrible. Dating, that is – not the book. Anyone who’s dated – ever – can sympathize with Abby’s experiences.

But On the Rocks isn’t just a summer romance, or a story about a girl searching for romance. It’s a story about friends and being there for one another. Sure, it’s filled with lots of hilarious dating horrors, but it’s also packed with the warm and sweet sentiments that are shared by the best of friends. The ones who stick by you when you’re down and try to pick you back up again.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

ON THE ROCKS by Erin Duffy. William Morrow (April 22, 2014). ISBN 978-0062205742. 320p.

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PERSONAL by Lee Child

September 4, 2014

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It’s rather hard to believe that this is the 19th book in the Jack Reacher series, which doesn’t even count the Kindle shorts (short stories) that Child’s put out. And somehow, this series doesn’t grow stale, doesn’t get tiresome, and the predictability is always enjoyable.

The book opens with Reacher wandering, toothbrush in pocket, riding a bus. He finds an issue of the Army Times, and takes a look at the personals. He’s a bit surprised to find an ad with his name, but since he realizes it’s from a General that he owes a favor to, he follows it up and finds himself flying on a private jet to the Pentagon.

One of America’s best military snipers had killed a man, and Reacher was the military cop who proved it. John Kott served 15 years in prison, and a year after his release was suspected of attempting to assassinate the President of France. Since Reacher caught him before, he’s asked to try again. Except they are not 100% sure it’s Kott – it could also be a Russian or British sniper.

Reacher is off to Paris and London, with the usual double crosses, near misses, and plenty of action. He is teamed up with a young, inexperienced woman, who brings back memories of another young woman that was killed. Reacher still feels guilt about her death, so he’s extra cautious with his new partner, who appears to deal with stress via pharmaceuticals.

I loved the bad guy, Little Joey, who towers over Reacher and lives in a giant’s house. Child created some really vivid scenes between these two; what he didn’t create was any Reacher romance. Maybe next time.

It would be simple to say that this is just another chapter in the Reacher series. Personal is exciting as expected, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but that is no easy feat to pull off. If you read any series, you know how difficult it is to create nineteen books that are really all terrific.

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll love it. If you haven’t read any, this is a fine place to start.

9/14 Stacy Alesi

PERSONAL by Lee Child. Delacorte Press (September 2, 2014). ISBN 978-0804178747. 368p.

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THE JEWEL by Amy Ewing

September 3, 2014

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In Violet Lasting’s world royalty have lost the ability to birth viable offspring. Amazingly, girls from the lowest levels of their society have shown a remarkable DNA strain that has become highly sought after. Testing is required for every girl and any that test positive immediately begin training for surrogacy. Violet is one of them and her time for auction has come.

Violet is purchased by the Duchess of the Lake, a member of one of the four founding families. For all intents and purposes, Violet Lasting is no more: she is now 197, a possession belonging to the Duchess. Her sole purpose is for the continuation of the Lake bloodline. The change is hard for Violet and as the realities of life as a surrogate become more clear, she realizes that her fate is more dangerous than she’d ever imagined. But things become even more difficult when Violet begins to fall in love with a boy who’s not meant for her.

Amy Ewing’s The Jewel does bear a marked resemblance to Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, I found I quite enjoyed it. The intrigue and the danger are darker than most dystopians because of the ramifications involved in using teenage girls as brood mares and the world itself is quite intricate.

The Jewel is the first in a projected trilogy and so there are the usual cliffhangers and unanswered questions. As an opening story, though, I was completely hooked and I can’t wait for the next book to come along.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

THE JEWEL by Amy Ewing. HarperTeen (September 2, 2014). ISBN 978-0062235794. 368p.

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ANNIHILATION by Jeff VanderMeer

September 2, 2014

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The latest expedition of Area X is about to begin. The team – a psychologist, an anthropologist, a surveyor, and a biologist – are all tasked with keeping detailed journals of their experiences and their observances. Strange things have been known to happen at Area X and it’s important that everything is carefully documented, especially after what happened to the last team.

Annihilation is the first installment in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy. It’s a strange little book – and a dense one at that – that reads as the biologist’s journal of the expedition.

The reader very quickly realizes that the biologist isn’t necessarily trustworthy. Little is revealed about the previous events at Area X, mostly because the biologist is unaware of those details. She doesn’t know the true purpose of the expeditions or what happened to the eleventh team (hers is supposed to be the twelfth) even though she’s got a significant connection to the previous expedition.

All in all, Annihilation is a weird but undeniably intriguing read. It leaves the reader with more questions than answers, to be totally honest. Fortunately, book two, Authority, picks up immediately after Annihilation and book three, Acceptance, is out now in bookstores. This is definitely a series that lends itself well to binge reading if only so you can find out what’s really going on.

9/14 Becky Lejeune

ANNIHILATION by Jeff VanderMeer. FSG Originals; First Edition edition (February 4, 2014). ISBN 978-0374104092. 208p.

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THIRD RAIL by Rory Flynn

August 30, 2014

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It’s likely that Eddy Harkness will never live down the notoriety of the Turnpike Toreador case. And yet he does hold out some hope that if he keeps clean while on forced leave he may one day be welcomed back to his old team. Until then he’s taken a job on his old hometown force, quietly waiting for his punishment to run up.

Unfortunately, a night of binge drinking leaves Eddy suddenly – an unofficially – relieved of his service weapon. He hopes he’s mislaid it in his drunken revels but it soon becomes clear that the gun has been stolen. Eddy is well aware that he’s on borrowed time: once his slip up is discovered, he’s finished. His only choice is to find the gun before that happens.

In the meantime, he still has a job to do.

The town of Nagog has had a growing number of accidental deaths of late. No one seems terribly concerned but Eddy believes it warrants a little more attention. What he discovers is a possible link to a new designer drug and what he suspects is a connection to his stolen gun.

Third Rail essentially begins in the middle of a story. Eddy is down and out thanks to a former case (nicknamed the Turnpike Toreador), the specifics of which are revealed only as the book progresses. It’s clear Eddy is no regular beat cop – he’s clever and seemingly pretty good at his job in spite of the way he’s treated. Turns out he was part of a special squad, one that also suffers in the wake of the case that made Eddy a household name in Massachusetts law enforcement. Eddy’s own reputation isn’t the only thing that’s at stake. Any and all attention is on him as fellow cops and criminals wait for another screw up.

I really had no idea what to expect out of Third Rail. A dark and gritty crime novel, sure – and it certainly is that – but Third Rail was so much more. In fact, it’s one of the best crime fiction releases I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far this year. Eddy is an excellent character, one I can’t wait to see more of, and his story is something of a genre standout in my opinion.

This is the debut title by Rory Flynn (aka Stona Fitch) and the first in a new series.

8/14 Becky Lejeune

THIRD RAIL by Rory Flynn. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (June 10, 2014). ISBN 978-0544226272. 224p.

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