The Spy House by Matthew Dunn ( Spycatcher #5)

The Spy House by Matthew Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have said this before but, it needs to be said again. There is a handful of thriller writers writing today that tell a dang good story, entertain us and also are good writers. Matthew Dunn is one of them. His Spycatcher series is a wonderful series that deserves wider attention. It will happen. As long as readers keep telling people about Dunn and his wonderful character Will Cochrane.

The Spy House is no different. Except this time, Dunn pushes Cochrane to his limits emotionally. There is much death to people important to Will in this book and it serves to make the Cochrane character even richer.

In TSH, Cochrane, now on his own after the events of Dark Spies, is recruited to solve a mystery that seemingly has no answer and unless it is solved will lead to war between Israel and Hamas. How do four men die violently in a secure and locked room with no apparent breach of the structure? One of these men was very close to Will and is being cast as the villain who killed the others and was killed himself in the process. A scenario that Cochrane refuses to believe.

Add to the mix a Palestinian boy, an assassin for hire and an Israeli agent looking for revenge along with the mysterious Thales who is intent on destroying Cochrane and fomenting War in the process and you have a book that is very hard to put down.

Do yourself a favor. Pick up Spycatcher and get started with this series. If you can find a first edition hardcover, do so. In 1998, a first book came out from an author named Lee Child,Killing Floor, which blew me away. That hardcover sold only a few thousand. It's worth quite a bit today! It took years for people to discover Jack Reacher. I think that Matthew Dunn will be in Child's league before too long.

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Deadline by John Sandford (Virgil Flowers #8)

Deadline by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Virgil Flowers is one of John Sandford's best creations. With this 8th outing, Virgil is in full Virgil mode. When he comes in contact with dog nappers, meth manufacturers, and a crazy, embezzling school board that has no qualms on killing people it can get pretty crazy. But, Virgil takes it all in stride. The Flowers character is not a superman but gets things done his own way. He is like his superior, Lucas Davenport in that he gets results, but in a very unconventional way. As with the Prey books, Minnesota is on full display. Having lived there for a time, it is very enjoyable to read about places you have been and recognize.
If you haven't read the Flowers series, pick up "Dark of the Moon", and start right now. Go!

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Gathering Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #25)

Gathering Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started reading John Sandford in 1989 when I picked up a book called Rules of Prey. It sounded fascinating and it was and I was instantly a fan of Lucas Davenport. It has been a fun 26 years and awesome to watch Davenport grow and mature and rise to his current status as a bigwig in the BCA in Minnesota.
Gathering Prey is awesome. It seems that Sandford and Davenport are getting better and better. In this the 25th outing, Davenport and his adopted daughter Letty are involved with Travelers (people with no ties or jobs who randomly travel the country), Juggalos ( followers of the Insane Clown Posse) and some very bad men and women who travel between the two groups.
Everything that Sandford writes is addictive. His stellar Virgil Flowers series is also a winner. Somehow he keeps it fresh. This book is no exception. It also appears that with Letty, a new series might not be far off.
The best thing about the Prey novels is that Davenport is not perfect, and that evil sometimes wins, just as in real life. And the character of the state of Minnesota is on full display. Along with William Kent Krueger, Sandford makes full use of the people and places of the rugged beauty that becomes part of the story as well.
If you have read Sandford, you don't need any other urging. If you haven't I am jealous. Pick up Rules of Prey and begin the ride of your life. You HAVE to read them in order.

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Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb (Farseer #3)

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robin Hobb is a master storyteller. The three books that make up the Farseer trilogy were very well done and had such a depth to them that you feel as if you know these characters and are present in the story.
Book 3 follows our hero Fitz as he seeks to find his King who has been gone searching for the mythical Elderlings. In hope of acquiring their aid to combat the Red Raiders that have been terrorizing the Six Duchies. There is depth to this story and the lives of all concerned. Fitz, Verity, Kettle, Nighteyes, Starling, Fool and Kettricken all with their strengths and weaknesses and motivations. If you have never read Robin Hobb, this is the best place to start. After you have finished you will be very glad that there are more wonderful books from this talented writer, including more about Fitz and the Fool!
All I can say is enjoy!!

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Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb (Farseer #2)

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As many of you know I read a lot of books at the same time and I am a pretty fast reader. That is until I came in contact with Robin Hobb and the amazing Farseer series. There are not words to describe just how good this series is and how wonderful a writer Hobb is. She forces me to slow down and savor every word and scene.
Royal Assassin, second in the Farseer trilogy was amazing. I am saddened that it took me this long to discover the richness that these stories are imbued with. The characters have become family and the history and peoples of the Six Duchies are as real as our own. There is power in this kind of storytelling.

Royal Assassin opens immediately after the events of Assassin's Apprentice. Fitz, is a shadow of who he was before and must return to Buckkeep and resume his life under the shadow of the treacherous Prince Regal. RA is full of plots and counterplots, love and laughter and many ideas on what one's word means as well as what it ultimately means to be oneself. Heavy stuff wrapped in an engrossing story that takes us to a shocking conclusion.

I really do not like spoilers in reviews. Just trust me. If you haven't read Robin Hobb, begin today. Pick up Assassin's Apprentice and enter a fantastic adventure that you will not want to end.

Then let's talk about it. I love to share ideas and points of view in reading.



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Sleeping Giants!!! You have to read this book by Sylvain Neuvel!!

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance reader copy of Sleeping Giants on the 12th and started reading it that night to see how it was. I finished it last night. Needless to say I could not put this book down. Sylvain Neuvel has created a compulsive novel that I was sad to see end. But, what an ending! I am very glad there will be more, but really sad to have to wait two years for the next book.

The story is told through a series of interviews, journal entries and various other official reports. The majority of the book are the interviews with a very enigmatic Interviewer whose identity we are never told and whose motivation and authority we can only guess at. But he is quite fascinating and it appears quite powerful.

The book begins with an 11 year old girl in South Dakota, riding her new bike into the woods after her birthday party. She sees a strange turquoise glow below her in the trees and investigates. She ends up falling and the next thing she knows she is laying on her back looking up the hill at her father and firemen who are trying to get to her from the hole she is in. She is rescued but all of her questions about what happened are dismissed by her parents. It seems no one wants to talk about it. Until one day when she is visited by one of the firemen who rescued her. He had taken some pictures of the accident and thought she would like to see them. She sees a picture of herself lying on her back in the hole, on the palm of a giant metal hand.

You can see now why I kept reading. 17 years later, the girl is now Dr. Rose Franklin and is put in charge of just what the hand is and why it was there by our Interviewer. Suffice it to say that there is more than one hand buried on the earth, and it will be up to Rose and her team to find the rest of the body parts that make up a very large metal person.

This book is to good to spoil and I think that this may be enough to convince you that this would be well worth your time. I can see this being a huge besteller and the start of a new phenomenom like Hunger Games or Harry Potter. Or it should be.

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The Eternal World by Christopher Farnsworth

The Eternal World: A Novel by Christopher Farnsworth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book by Christopher Farnsworth that I have read. I know my good friend, Jason Frost loves this guy and has been a big fan since his first book, Blood Oath. The Eternal World was great fun! Imagine almost 500 year old conquistadors heading a billion dollar biotech company which is trying to reformulate the water from the Fountain of Youth which they are running out of. A brilliant young researcher who just might pull it off and a beautiful native woman whose great mistake was saving the life of one of the conquistadors with the Water those many years ago and is now seeking the deaths of those responsible for murdering her whole clan and stealing the Water.
The novel weaves a fast paced and compelling story about one of the most enduring myths of this continent. Farnsworth seamlessly handles the modern day story with flashbacks to the arrival of the Spanish in Florida and their brutal treatment of the indigenous people.
The book has a wonderfully exciting and satisfying conclusion, but I would recommend it for readers 18 and up due to language and adult content.

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Act of War by Brad Thor (Scott Harvath #13)

Act of War by Brad Thor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is by far one of Brad's best. LIke all good thrillers there are elements of truth that just can't be made up and you are amazed at the sheer stupidity that we, as a country have been engaging in. Putting the lives of brave men and women at risk in the process.
In Act of War, one of the greatest issues facing the US today and the future is addressed. China. In short, China needs what the US has. Namely, land and room. Brad has always had great contacts in government and he uses them to great affect here laying out a great read of Harvath and his team saving us from sure devestation and a Chinese invasion. What is really scary is that it could happen.
No spoilers. Just pick this book up and read it. Enjoy it and maybe be educated a little bit by it. Parts of it are hair raising.

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Hidden Order by Brad Thor (Scott Harvath #12)

Hidden Order by Brad Thor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It has been a couple years since I have read one of Brad's books. I try to save them for when I want a good, well written thriller from a guy who is plugged in. I hAve known Brad for years. he is genuinely a patriot and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.

I think it is on to Act of War for me.

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The English Spy by Daniel Silve (Gabriel Allon #15)

The English Spy by Daniel Silva
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing much more I can say when it comes to this author and this series. It is by far the most intelligent and worthy series in thriller fiction. There is a comfort to Silva's writing. His characters breathe and bleed and sorrow and joy. The English Spy is the 14th in the Gabriel Allon series, and the 4th with Christopher Keller, first experienced in The English Assassin. Keller needs his own series. He is a very complex and fascinating character.
In this entry of the series, we are taken into the depth's of Keller's past and an old enemy from his days during the Troubles in Ireland. Eamon Quinn is that enemy and a thoroughly destestable human being with ties to the death of Gabriel's son years before. Allon and Keller join forces to find him and stop his reign of terror for good. But, all is not as straight forward as it seems with duplicity, moles in MI6, a recent defector and the death of a Russian spy in a snowy wood from a previous Allon novel. Revnge is the motive of this book in more ways than one. Couple this with the impending arrival of Gabriel's twins and his taking over of the Office, makes this a very rich and full work.
Silva is very prescient with his writing and very engaged when it comes to our world and the evils in it.
I promise you. Start your reading of Silva with The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon #2) and you will be hooked.



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The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer (Culper Ring #1)

The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my first book by Meltzer. I have tried to read him many times but have never been intrigued enough to continue.
For some reason with The Inner Ring this changed. Even though the story was predictable at times and you really wanted to throttle Beecher White for being a wimp, the fascinating historical detail and locations kept me going. I will be giving The Fifth Assassin a try.

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Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (Farseer #1)

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I have to admit, rather embarassingly that this is ny first Robin Hobb book. For years O have looked at them with interest, but I never really felt the pull. Well, I recently felt the pull and I am so glad that I did.
I love this book. I have become a fan. The story of FitzChivalry is amazing. Plus all of the little tidbits about other land and goings on in the Six Duchies has made me so glad that I waited. Now I have a plethora of Hobb books when the mood for really good, really well written fantasy hits me.
Well Done!
The story of Fitz is a common one. Born a bastard to the King in Waiting, Chivalry, his story begins with him being dropped at the door of the keep, to be taken care of by the Royalty. He comes under the watchful of Burrich who was Chivalry's Man. Burrich is the stablemaster and keepes a watchful and doting eye on Fitz in his youth. Unfortunately, Fitz has a gift that is not a welcome one to Burrich. He can bond with animals via The Wit. There are still more surprises for young Fitz when King Shrewd, take him in and starts him on the long journey of learning. Not only letters, and arms but of the ways of the assassin by a mysterious old man named Chade.
There are twists and turns and such wonderful scenes that I would rather you discover them yourself.
But, KNOW THIS.. This book is worthy of all hyperbole. Read it. It is perfect for young adults as well!

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Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb (Farseer #2)

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As many of you know I read a lot of books at the same time and I am a pretty fast reader. That is until I came in contact with Robin Hobb and the amazing Farseer series. There are not words to describe just how good this series is and how wonderful a writer Hobb is. She forces me to slow down and savor every word and scene.
Royal Assassin, second in the Farseer trilogy was amazing. I am saddened that it took me this long to discover the richness that these stories are imbued with. The characters have become family and the history and peoples of the Six Duchies are as real as our own. There is power in this kind of storytelling.

Royal Assassin opens immediately after the events of Assassin's Apprentice. Fitz, is a shadow of who he was before and must return to Buckkeep and resume his life under the shadow of the treacherous Prince Regal. RA is full of plots and counterplots, love and laughter and many ideas on what one's word means as well as what it ultimately means to be oneself. Heavy stuff wrapped in an engrossing story that takes us to a shocking conclusion.

I really do not like spoilers in reviews. Just trust me. If you haven't read Robin Hobb, begin today. Pick up Assassin's Apprentice and enter a fantastic adventure that you will not want to end.

Then let's talk about it. I love to share ideas and points of view in reading.



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Prayers of the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno ( A look at our future?)

Prayers for the Assassin by Robert Ferrigno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is scary and quite visionary on so many levels. This book came out in 2006, but it is eerie when you take a look at the maps in the front of the book at what the United States has become.
When you take into account recent events that have been occuring in our country, Ferrigno's "thriller" takes on a whole new meaning. It is not so far fetched as we at one time thought it would be.
If you are looking for a possible snapshot at our future, read this book. It along with Dan Simmon's Flashback will scare the H E double hockey sticks out of you. Plus they are good reads.

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The Next John Sandford is here! Owen Laukkanen's Criminal Enterprise ( Stevens and Windermere #2)

Criminal Enterprise by Owen Laukkanen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Owen Laukkanen's 2nd entry in the Stevens and Windermere series proves that The Professionals (Stevens and Windermere #1) was no fluke. The writing is assured, the plot well thought out and fast moving. Laukkanen is quickly making his mark in crime fiction and is a welcome addition to other great Twin Cities standbys such as Sandford's Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. This series is a wonderful companion and will be a worthy successor once Sandford decides to hang it up. Which I hope is years down the road.
In Criminal Enterprise, we meet Carter Tomlin, a well paid CPA that lives in a McMansion in an affluent area. His perfect life falls apart pretty quickly when he is laid off and resorts to a life of crime to keep the mortgage paid, etc..
Unfortunately for Tomlin, he likes the life, it gives him a thrill and his crimes escalate quickly.
Windermere is hot on the case while dealing with a reluctant partner and Stevens is trying to resist the lure of the excitement of the FBI. Their jobs collide again and the ending is cinematic and climactic.
You will love this series.
Caution: There is language and a few sexual situations.

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The Next Great Young Adult book is here! Alive by Scott Sigler

Alive by Scott Sigler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay. Do you remember how you felt when you began reading about Trice in Divergent or about Katniss in The Hunger Games. You kind of knew that you were beginning a special journey. Alive by Scott Sigler is such a book. I was lucky enough to receive an advance reader copy of this book and the author politely asks that in potential reviews or blogposts that spoilers not be present. I couldn't agree more. It is rare when a book captures your attention and is so compulsive that you have to know what happens next. Em will join the ranks of great young adult characters. This book is part Hunger Games with a dash of Maze Runner and Divergent thrown in for good measure, but totally and utterly original.
Trust me. Alive is not to be missed.

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Innocence by Dean Koontz

Innocence by Dean Koontz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are very few words to describe what kind of book Dean Koontz writes. They defy description. But one thing they all have in common is beautiful writing and wonderful characters and a very deep ability to make you think and wonder at this world we live in.
Innocence is no exception. I have to admit that I do not read the newest Koontz as soon as it is released. I always know that I have Koontz to rely on when I need to be enthralled.
I don't know if Mr. Koontz knows just how truly good he is. Twenty years ago when we lived in California I always had the great, good fortune to meet him and talk with him at his Book Carinval book releases. I once asked him how he got his ideas. He told me that he always had 3 books in his head. The one he was writing and the next two. This amazed me. I know he takes his craft seriously, he works hard at it, much to our benefit and delight.
When I had my publishing company I always was looking for another Koontz. They don't exist. He is original. And it seems so effortless.
In Innocence, not all is as it seems and try as you might, you cannot figure it out until it us revealed to you.
No spoilers here. Read this book and Addison Goodheart's story.. Keep a highlighter with you, because there are lines and sections that every reader would be inspired by. Mark them. Read them again and pass them on.


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Independence Day by Ben Coes !!!

Independence Day by Ben Coes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ben Coes is without a doubt one of the best of the new breed of thriller writers that have emerged over the last few years. His Dewey Andreas series is one of the best out there. It took me a little while to pick up the first in the series, "Power Down" just because the title didn't speak to me. But, once you start the book you realze that this is a writer with great skill.
The pace of Independence Day is blistering. It is up to Dewey and company to stop a potential terrorist attack from a brilliant hacker bent on revenge. All of the familiar cast of characters are present, with a damaged Dewey still recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, trying to come to an understanding of his courage in the face of adversity and the love he feels for his country.
You will not be sorry reading any of Coe's books with this being extremely timely for a great summer beach read leading to Independence Day.

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Joe Ledger Lives! Predator One by Jonathan Maberry

Predator One by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay. Listen up. Jonathon Maberry is one of our ten best thriller writers writing today period. He is also an awesome guy who deserves all the success that comes his way. Saying that. If you have not read a book in the Joe Ledger series, you are missing out on one of the great series out there.
I already knew that Maberry was a master of horror with his Pine Deep trilogy, but then a friend introduced me to Joe Ledger #1 "Patient Zero" Which has one of the greatest openings I've read in the last 20 years. I was hooked. I try to get the new Ledger and save it for when I really need a good book, it never happens. It is always devoured quickly leaving me hungry for more.
In this the 7th outing for Ledger, Echo Team, Ghost, Junie, Church and others, there are no holds barred and everyone is fair game including a wonderful fight scene with Aunt Sallie (I wish there was more detail, but my imagination is pretty good). Maberry has some of the evilest villians in the game and "Predator One" is no exception. One we have met before who is just bugnuts crazy.
The only thing keeping you and me and my little dog safe is Joe Ledger.
Just trust me. Pick up Patient Zero and start today. You will be glad that there are 6 more in the series to keep you going.


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By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber (Safehold #2) Awesome!!!

By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the Safehold series was as good and in many ways better than Off Armageddon Reef, book 1 in the series. I am so glad that I stumbled into this series. It is hard to find a great epic set in a world you can get lost in with the detail that Weber has instilled in this book and series. It has everything you could hope for. Put this into your "To Be Read" list. You will not be sorry.
The detail and thought that went into this concept is astounding. There are many surprises in book #2, but, you will have to see for yourself. On to book #3!!

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Light of the World by James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux #20)

Light of the World by James Lee Burke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What can you say that hasn't been said about James Lee Burke. He is truly one of the great crime fiction writers of his generation. His writing is descriptive, introspective and just plain beautiful. In this #20!! book of the Dave Robicheaux series, he may have created his biggest work yet with one of the most evil villians you would never want to encounter. Burke's genius lies in his ability to write about the human condition in a way that makes you ponder anew what it means to go through this life.
An example:
" At a certain age, you realize the greatest loss you can experience is a theft you perpetrate on yourself- the waste of days given us. Is there any more piercing remorse than the realization that a person has thrown away the potential that resides in everty sunrise?"

A whole book could be written of Burke's quotes in his various series. They are that brilliant and deep.

I know that may seem grandiose, but read Burke and you will understand.

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The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is a very compulsive read. It has great characters, twists and turns ands you are never really sure that people are who they really are until the end. Very well done. If you long for the days of Rear Window and other Hitchcock clasics, this is as close to them as I have been in years. Just don't plan on starting the book and reading a chapter here or there. You will have a hard time not wanting to contiue reading. Which honestly is what all authors strive for.
Highly recommended.

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Ironhorse by Robert Knott, continuing Robert B Parker's Cole and Hitch series.

Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse by Robert Knott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every once in a while I just have to read a book about this country and the way it was. No cars, just horses. The law and those who break it and characters that are larger than life. This is exactly what you get with the Virgil Cole and Ecverett Hitch series by Robert B Parker. This 5th entry into the series is written by Robert Knott who is a worthy successor to Parker. It is written in Parker's style but you can still tell the difference. That is not to say that it's bad. Nobody wrote with the ease of Parker.
A majority of the story takes place onboard a train and the circumsatances that occur during a train robbery, or is it that simple. Throw in the the problematic issuer thar the Governor of Texas is onboard with his family, some shifty characters from Cole's past and writing that is atmospheric and conveys the time and scenery of east Texas and the Arkansas border and it makes for a great story.

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The Great China Zoo by Mattew Reilly

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Matthew Reilly is an author that writes "cool thrillers". They are pure fun and highly cinematic and they have some pretty spectacular scenes that require super human luck, strength or skill, but that just makes it more fun. If I had a criticism it would be that he uses language that he really doesn't need to. He is a better writer than that and the books would still be just as good.
In The Great Zoo of China, Reilly explores a really big story. China wants to be known, special like the US. They realize that in order to be looked at differently they must have a tourist destination, a la Disneyland. Hence, The Great Zoo of China. But this is no ordinary zoo. It is big and populated by big creatures thought to be myths. Dragons! In typical Reilly fashion, man is fiddling with things better left alone and in doing so opens a Pandora's Box of terror. These dragons are lean, mean and highly intelligent. A tour group of VIP's getting a first look at the zoo before it opens, gets far more than it bargained for and the cliffhangers and narrow escapes abound.
If you like fast paced thrillers with the "cool" factor.. Read Reilly and just go with it, yes, there are a lot of impossible escapes and scenes but it is fiction. Have fun with it.

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David Weber's Safehold Series. #1 Off Armegeddon Reef

Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have looked at this book so many times in stores and in libraries. Picked it up and read a little and let it fall by the wayside. This time I picked it up and read and couldn't put it down. This is very well done. Combine the epic history spanning world building of Asimov's Foundation and add Patrick O'Brien to the mix and you have the beginning of the Safehold series. I am so excited that I have more story to read.
The story is epic and human and all things that make for great adventures in reading.
I cannot recommend this highly enough. Well Done Mr. Weber!

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The Thieves of Legend!! Richard Doetsch is a modern master!!

Okay. If you love well written, fast paced thrillers with a touch of real history laced into it with ancient mysteries a la Indiana Jones. Then, Richard Doetsch is for you. I am very sad that I have now read all of his books. They are that good. Thieves of Legend is the latest book in his Michael St. Pierre series and it is stellar. Each book in the series has ancient legends that become reality and it is up to his incredibly real characters to face enormous odds to stop some very bad things from happening. Doetsch also has two stand alone novels that have locales from his St. Pierre series, but are completely their own which are fantastic, "Half Past Dawn" and "The 13th Hour". I wish I had the money to make all of his books into movies. You will not be disappointed in any of these books. I can't wait for the next book from this welcome new voice in thriller fiction.