Embedded

Dakota Judd Thriller, #1

by

John Lansing

Exciting life-or-death thriller!

Embedded is the first book in author John Lansing’s riveting new series of thrillers featuring former U.S. Army Ranger Dakota Judd, and it completely earns its place among the best of the genre; I couldn’t put the book down. Former Ranger Dakota Judd had made a mistake in Afghanistan when he’d tried to stop his company commander from torturing a young Afghan teen for information by shattering his arm; he should have killed him. Now, years later, he’s serving the prison sentence that had been unfairly handed down and trying to stay ahead of the incarcerated would-be assassins after the bounty on his head. So, when Special Agent Jean Steele offers him a deal that would not only get him out early but expunge his record after his successful completion of an undercover operation within a dangerous White Supremacy-linked militia, he’s all in. Now it’s up to Judd and his handler to infiltrate and get the evidence needed to shut these guys down for good. 

Dakota Judd is an interesting man of contrasts, always prepared and ready to prevail in a fight, yet retaining his need to protect those he loves and defend his principles no matter what. Plus, he likes cats. Blackfox, the organization he’s trying to get information from, is secretly the antithesis of everything he stands for. Some of his brothers-in-arms have found employment with Blackfox after their military service on the legitimate protection side, with no idea of the company’s real agenda. Judd’s is the Oscar-worthy acting job of the century, and his life depends on maintaining his masquerade. I loved that he is supported in his efforts by his canny and capable Aunt Billie, a retired Orange County detective. 

The plot is high-octane from the start, fraught with tension, and gritty as they come, especially with the mayhem dealt by the low-level biker gang frontmen, the OC Wolf Pack, as they try to incite unrest and violence among the ethnic gangs of Los Angeles. The randomness of how they perpetrate their plan is gasp-inducing, and these are the people Judd must impress to get his foot in the door with Blackfox eventually. Jean Steele proves to be a cool head, controlled and calculating in planning and executing her plan. There is also a connection with Judd that teases with its forbidden potential throughout the book. 

I recommend EMBEDDED to thriller readers, especially those who enjoy a suspenseful undercover operation that teeters on the edge of life or death and stories featuring former military protagonists. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Rescuing Crockett

by

David Z. Pyke

Excellent historical fiction novel that explores an alternate fate for Alamo legend David "Davy" Crockett.

It takes a bold and confident hand to tackle a historical fiction novel involving the Battle of the Alamo, especially for an author from the Lone Star State, but I believe David Z. Pyke has crafted a winning tale in Rescuing Crockett. When rumors reach important ears in the federal government that former U.S. Representative David "Davy" Crockett is still alive and taken as a prisoner after the Battle of the Alamo, his fellow brothers-in-arms are compelled to investigate and mount a rescue should the rumors prove true. What results is this COMPLETELY FICTIONAL adventure story, stacked with historical figures and steeped in fact. 

Told from multiple points of view, the story slowly builds with the main characters seeking eyewitnesses to Crockett's final stand. It was fascinating reading about their questioning of the survivors of the battle who were inside the mission with the Texas defenders and the diversity of their accounts of what they saw. 

Included in the band of men searching for evidence of Crockett's fate is young Silas Grant, a sixteen-year-old from the Brazos Valley region near Washington-on-the-Brazos, who knew these war heroes from his participation in the final battles of the Texas Revolution. He's a more than competent companion to the older men in the group, easily carrying his own weight, even devising clever plans to save their bacon along the way. It was hard to remember that Silas was only sixteen as the story begins, someone who, nowadays, would be viewed as still a child, yet at the time of these events, was considered a man-grown. This was especially the case when it came to his sweet but mature romance with Emily Perry.

 This author can definitely tell a story! There is plenty of adventure, excitement, danger, mystery, and romance to keep readers of almost any genre turning pages. The place descriptions are vivid and, at times, capture more than just the physical attributes of the setting. There is a scene early in the story where the Texians traveling to San Antonio finally reach the city's outskirts, approaching the ruins of the Alamo from the back. Their arrival is solemn and imbued with emotion for these characters, but I was affected myself just from the reading. 

The author mixes fictional characters with many historical figures in a very natural way, and I was impressed by how many actual people were successfully incorporated throughout the story. The author includes additional commentary about some of those mentioned and some eye-opening stories about a couple of events and settings that make the Historical Note chapter a must-read. 

With its engaging main and supporting characters – fictional and historical, intriguing premise, and fantastic storytelling deftly mixing fact with imaginative fiction, I recommend RESCUING CROCKETT to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy Texas tales and stories of the Alamo.

For this and other reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!

A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder

by

Melinda Mullet

With its unique setting and ensemble effort to solve a murder, this mystery is a winning series debut!

The Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder by veteran author Melinda Mullet is a wonderful traditional mystery, and with its unique setting and characters’ ensemble effort to solve a murder, absolving one of their own of the crime, makes for a winning series debut. Ghostwriter Maeve Gardner is deep into writing book forty-three in the old-school Simon Hill detective series, originally penned by author Harlan Oaks, who, though caught in the throes of early-onset dementia, was still a big moneymaker for his publishing house. While Maeve longs for the day when she’ll be free to write her own novel, her current circumstances require her to defer to Simon Hill’s adventures for now. 

After the breakup of a long-term relationship, Maeve moved onto a houseboat and became part of the unique floating community of Regent’s Canal. When Maeve and her dog, Captain Jack, discover a large cache of money hidden at their mooring, she heads off to the nearest station to inform the local police of her find. But when she and the police return to the boat, the money is gone and the body of her ex is floating off the Revenge’s stern. Maeve suddenly finds herself suspect number one in his death. 

The story unfolds from multiple points of view, including Maeve’s and a couple of her nearest waterside neighbors, who have her back every step of the way. I loved their teamwork as they tried to clear Maeve’s name by finding the real killer. While Maeve has some idea of how her fictional detective would conduct an investigation, the others must all venture out of their comfort zones, be it physically or mentally, to help their friend, and some commit to extreme measures to do so. The author does a fabulous job building these characters’ deep, heartfelt friendships, and the results fairly radiate off the page, making this a group of friends you’d want to know in real life. 

As the police are set on Maeve as their perpetrator, it is up to her and her friends to discover the truth. I enjoyed how they divvied up their investigatory tasks and met up later to compare notes. Their inquiries into the dead man’s life lead them in a number of directions and introduce some additional characters whom I feel may reappear in future cases. Mac “The Machine” Toliver, in particular, still has a lot of story left to tell. Gradually, a picture of what really happened begins to form, and the story’s climax is absolutely gripping. 

I recommend A GHOSTWRITER’S GUIDE TO MURDER to readers of traditional mysteries, especially fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Lethal Standoff

by

DiAnn Mills

Starts at high speed and never slows down!

Lethal Standoff is a new Christian romantic suspense novel by the talented, veteran author DiAnn Mills and features dedicated and compassionate female hostage negotiator, Carrington Reed. The story is action-packed and infused with romantic tension from the start, and the entire story is set within the framework of faith. 

Carrington Reed is caring, compassionate, and sincere in her desire to help all parties involved in a hostage situation. She genuinely tries to look past the perpetrators’ actions to get to the root causes of what they’ve done to gain as successful a resolution as she possibly can for all. She is in high demand as an independent hostage negotiator, and the wear and tear of the work is taking a toll. Carrington harbors a health concern that could put an end to her successful career. 

Levi Ehrlich is a Houston journalist who reports on the very situations Carrington tries to defuse, so their paths have crossed often in the past. They’ve developed something of a friendship due in large part to his trustworthy, fair, and balanced reporting. Until now, their relationship has remained strictly professional, but both secretly feel an undeniable romantic attraction to the other. 

Levi’s personal life has undergone some extreme changes since his recent conversion to Messianic Judaism. Born into a conservative Jewish family, he’s been rejected by his father, mother, and sister. Still, he holds out hope that someday they will relent and accept him again, no matter the differences in their beliefs. 

The plot is fast-paced as Carrington is called from one crisis to another, and Levi is close behind in search of a good story. When Levi’s boss demands exaggerated, sensationalized copy to boost circulation, Levi refuses to compromise his integrity, even under threat of dismissal. However, when the hostage negotiation takes some drastic turn, Carrington and Levi are certain there’s more to the hostage-taker’s motive than he claims. As they follow their instincts, the story answers with some surprising twists and turns. 

The author’s storytelling is immersive and compelling; the pages practically turned themselves on the way to the final resolution. With both characters experiencing spiritual struggles, there are some frank and open discussions and questioning of faith and its impact on their lives and the impact of their life experiences on the state of their faith. This is a story of forgiveness and renewal. 

I recommend LETHAL STANDOFF to readers of Christian romantic suspense.

 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

The Least of These

Detective Abbey Rhodes Mystery, #2

by

Mitchell S. Karnes

What appears to be a simple carjacking gone wrong may be the coverup for something quite different.

The Least of These is the second book in author Mitchell S. Karnes's riveting series of police procedurals featuring Nashville homicide detective Abbey Rhodes and her partner, Detective Sam Tidwell. This latest set of cases involves an apparent carjacking and the murder of a well-connected social media influencer and the suspicious disappearance of several residents of a riverside homeless encampment. The mayor himself takes an active interest in the carjacking when he discovers the victim was the stepson of a wealthy friend. He orders the two detectives to drop all their other cases to focus solely on the murder, which grates on Abbey's sense of right and justice. So, when a friend similarly disappears, she's all in on solving this mystery, no matter the cost to herself or her career. 

Abbey is a likable, engaging main character who has experienced her own trauma in her past. But after a stint in the military, she's more than capable now of taking care of herself while still suffering moments of insecurity and flashbacks to those earlier times. Not quite two years into her assignment with the homicide division, Abbey has some good experience and a couple of high-profile successes under her belt, but understands there's still more to learn about her craft. I liked that she and her partner, Sam Tidwell, have started to coalesce as a team, but they are still learning about each other, and their relationship has a way to go before they form a solid and comfortable partnership. 

The action gets going immediately with the early morning discovery of the murder victim and the call-out for the detectives. What initially appears to be a carjacking gone wrong looks like a sloppy setup to divert the police from is really going on. Across the river, in clear view of the crime scene, is a large community of homeless individuals, perfectly situated for a front row seat to what went down as the crime unfolded. Hoping to locate possible witnesses, the detectives encounter a diverse assortment of people at the unique encampment, including their mysterious and menacing self-proclaimed mayor, a well-meaning but dangerously ill former social worker turned missionary who has chosen to join the community to help serve their many needs, and an elusive veteran. I empathized with Abbey's anger and felt Sam's unease and discomfort as they tried to do right by the people of the camp, while others seemed oblivious and tried to pull them from investigating those they felt didn't warrant the time and effort. Still, their case progresses quickly, with twists and turns all along the way, making this book an absolutely gripping tale. 

I recommend THE LEAST OF THESE to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially those with an interest in the plight of the unhoused or a Nashville setting. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.