Thriller

5 STAR Vietnam War Mystery Thriller Facing the Dragon

April 28, 2018 By Paula 1 Comment

5 STAR Vietnam War Mystery Thriller
Facing the Dragon by Philip Derrick

January 1970 – Just over a week ago James Peterson was a high school freshman whose biggest worry was passing his Geometry class. Now he’s in South Vietnam impersonating an army paratrooper. He’s not there for glory but to make up for his cowardice and solve a mystery.

But can a fifteen-year-old boy survive without any military training?
Can he find the answers he seeks?
Or will someone see that he’s shut down permanently?

2.4 million men served in South Vietnam. Join the adventure and meet the most unusual one of all.

That Ain’t No Unicorn In This Vietnam War Mystery

Not long ago I had the opportunity to read Facing the Dragon: A Vietnam War Mystery Thriller by Philip Derrick and I must say WOW! What a cool and ingenious story. I thought I had read pretty much every wartime scenario possible, but this one caught me by surprise. This inventive author entertained and captivated me page after page with a great storyline and well-developed characters.

As a former military guy, I was quite impressed with the accurate descriptions of equipment, weapons, and overall military terminology and structure. It is evident that somebody has been a direct observer of F.U.B.A.R. and other esoteric acronyms. The precise proof and editing work made this story pleasurable and easy to read. Overall, this book contained everything that I enjoy in a wartime read. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the cover art containing the historical Huey Helicopter. What an attention grabber and fitting to the story within! Great work Philip Derrick, looking forward to more from you, carry on.

Psychological Thriller – A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage

April 12, 2018 By Paula 2 Comments

Psychological Thriller
A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage

Under the guise of mentor and muse, a frustrated writer and her ambitious teenage protégé take an illicit summer road trip fraught with racial and sexual tension. This is a compelling psychological novel about social norms, artistic ambition, and obsession.Maggie Barnett works in the media center of a school in Flint, Michigan where she meets Taezha Riverton, an aspiring teenage writer. After discovering that Maggie is also a writer, Taezha turns to her as both mentor and friend. Although Tae’s mother has nothing against Maggie, she is less than thrilled when Maggie proposes to take her daughter on a summer road trip. Permission is never explicitly granted, but shortly after school is out for the summer, Maggie and Tae head for the Southeast.

Psychological Thriller Is
A Confusing Trip of Discovery and Hope

I just finished reading this compelling psychological novel, A Mentor and Her Muse by Susan Sage. I found the cover of this book to be as thoughtful and provoking as the contents were creative and artistically written. The main character, Maggie a fifty-something frustrated writer works in the media center of a school in Michigan. At work is where she meets Tae, an ambitious teenager with a difficult home life. Tae is an inspiring writer and when she discovers that Maggie is also a writer she looks to her for guidance. Maggie becomes both mentor and friend.

Although warned by coworkers against it, she spends time with her after school and on weekends. It’s not enough for Maggie to take her muse to restaurants, bookstore cafes, and poetry readings so she proposes to take her on a summer road trip. Quintana, Tae’s Mother, isn’t happy about it but also doesn’t say no, so shortly after school is out for the summer, Maggie and the fifteen-year-old head for the Southeast. Will the illicit summer road trip, tinged with racial and sexual tension, land Maggie in legal trouble? Will Maggie come through for Tae and save her from her misery while helping her develop as a writer? I enjoyed the vivid descriptions and emotional detail of the author’s writing as she answered these questions and took me on the road trip along with Maggie and Tae. I would recommend this book to my friends and family as well as all others wanting to escape for a while with a well-rounded read. More Book Reviews.

The Paloma Crossing: Must Read Crime Thriller & Award Winner

October 28, 2017 By Paula Leave a Comment

Hardin Steel is back in “The Paloma Crossing!”

Hardin Steel worked twenty years as a DEA agent: drank too much, divorced twice, made a number of serious enemies, and retired at the behest of the agency. He’s now the sheriff of Cameron County, the southernmost county in Texas, where cocaine and corruption are king.
Across the river, Frederick Ochoa has a new weapon in his arsenal: Stinger missiles. Originally supplied to the mujahideen by the CIA, twenty of the surface-to-air missiles are now in the hands of the deadliest drug lord in Mexico. And he wastes no time in putting them to good use.
Steel fights the cartel, local corruption, and his own demons, the only way he knows how—down and dirty—winner take all.

About the Author

Randall Reneau is the author of seven novels, including Diamond Fields, a Royal Dragonfly Book Awards grand prize winner, and The Medinandi License, a Reader Views Literary Award winner. He is also a two-time winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award. A former international geologist and Vietnam veteran, he lives with his wife, Lynne, in Austin, Texas.

You Better Read The Paloma Crossing Pilgram!

Marcus just finished this very exciting action packed book. The second book in the Hardin Steel series, The Paloma Crossing is written by the creative author, Randall Reneau. This author is new to us and shall not be soon forgotten. This fun read includes what most novels in the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense genre do murder and of course money. Marcus found that this book had an excellent cast of characters from drug lords and traffickers to DEA agents and other law enforcement officials. His favorite bad guys, highly trained and experienced mercenaries with polished lethal skills, were also found amongst the well-developed cast of characters in this book.

I must mention the lead character in which he immediately became a fan of, Sheriff Hardin Steel, AKA Stainless Steel among friends. This guy makes the story remarkable. You see, Steel is a man’s man, the proverbial “John Wayne” kinda guy. Rough, tough, and take no B.S. from anyone kind of guy. OOORAH! With Steel as the main character in other excellent stories by this skilled writer, we are looking forward to more epic adventures in the future.

I also wanted to take a moment to comment on the impeccable job that was done with proofing and editing this novel. I don’t want to be the bad guy, but we did not like the cover art. Marcus found it to be confusing and one dimensional. If we had judged this book by its cover, he probably would not have read it and would have missed the great story within.

Book Review: Frozen Tide by Gerard Filitti – Killer Counsel!

August 31, 2017 By Paula Leave a Comment

Book Review: Frozen Tide by Gerard Filitti

About The Book:

Jack Reagan, a former attorney from New York, is visiting Washington, D.C. for his best friend’s wedding. While taking a walk through Rock Creek Park on an unseasonably warm January day, he stumbles across a terrorist attack connected to the desertion of Marine Lance Corporal Lawrence Eggerton in Afghanistan several months earlier. Reagan comes to the aid of the federal agents and schoolchildren under fire, taking decisive and lethal action against the attackers.

As he is interviewed about the shootings, Reagan’s accounting of his actions and his analysis of events impress the Acting Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Francis Smythe, who decides on the spur of the moment to grant Reagan’s request to look over some information concerning Eggerton. Smythe and Reagan both believe that the shooting in Rock Creek Park is part of a larger terrorist plot, and with Smythe’s support, Reagan’s participation in the investigation grows as he helps uncover information that points to other terrorist cells operating within America.

As the investigation progresses, Reagan develops an increasingly close relationship with a talented young investigator, Special Agent Amanda Watson. Reagan and Watson utilize the combined resources of NCIS and the FBI to track down the terrorists, aided as well by Reagan’s longtime friends in the special operations community who are separately tracking Stinger missiles that disappeared during an arms transfer in Benghazi.

In a fast-paced story spanning from Afghanistan to Argentina and from the frozen tides off the New Jersey coast to the warm waters of South Beach, Reagan’s mysterious past is gradually revealed as he and his friends race against an unseen clock to prevent a devastating series of terrorist attacks with weapons the likes of which have never before been used on American soil.

Killer Counsel!!

My Review Of This Book:

Just finished this really good book, titled Frozen Tide by Gerard Filitti. Considering our current climate of terrorism and the terrorist attacks that are being committed around the globe I found this story is both relevant and enlightening. A story about good and bad guys in which who is good and who is bad sometimes becomes blurred. I really appreciated the realness of this wild story. Starting with the characters and their real life job titles to the accuracy of nomenclature, weapons, and tactics. This made for a very believable tale of terrorism.

As far as characters go, I really enjoyed Jack Reagan, the quiet deadly marksman, who also happens to be an attorney. As a former military guy, Mark found him to be very cool and interesting. I really respect the research that went into this book and geographical accuracy that I found throughout, it made for a relatable read that drew me in right away. I must also mention that the proofreading and editing were very thorough. Adding to the believability of this fun read. The cover art is great, very mysterious and a bit ambiguous which made me very inquisitive. I am looking forward to other clever, well-rounded stories from this talented author. More Book Reviews.