Book Review: A Simple Choice

 

Title: A Simple Choice

Author: David Pepper

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Format: Kindle

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Publication Date: August 22,2022

pages: 432

My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: 

When one of the nation's most prestigious senators jumps from a cliff in Maine, it is no surprise that the political elite and the media flock to the story, determined to uncover what has happened- and whether foul play was involved.  Palmer Knight, a fast rising TV news correspondent, is sent to cover the mysterious death, and finds himself embroiled in a plot that goes far beyond the Senate and onto the global stage.

Meanwhile, Army veteran and former Supreme Court clerk Amity Jones thought she had left the fast lane behind when she moved to Ohio to care for her cancer- stricken mother.

But her dogged pursuit of a local medical mystery places bring her back to the world of politics, and ultimately into Palmer's investigation of the senator's death.  The unlikely duo, brought together by seemingly unconnected events, soon find themselves enmeshed in a political conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of power, and places their lives, and many others in terrible danger.

My Thoughts:

Amity's mother is dying from cancer, and there a "cure", but it comes at a cost. 

While reading this I was trying to see how a senator's death was related to Amity's mother dying from cancer.

The plot was very well written.  It takes us on a roller coaster of emotions, intrigue and suspense.  We go along with Amity and Palmer Knight, who is a reporter, as they weave through a conspiracy, and a mystery to figure out who is behind a death, and also this "cure".

This is a definite must read book.  I would definitely recommend this book! Hence my rating of five stars.

About the Author:

David Pepper is the author of Laboratories of Autocracy, as well as four novels including A Simple Choice , which is forthcoming in 2022, and the Jack Sharpe series, including The Voter File, The Wingman, and The People's House.

He earned his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.  He has clerked for a judge on the United States Court of Appeals.

Pepper worked in St. Petersburg, Russia for the Washington based center for Strategic and International Studies.  He served as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Ohio from 2015-2021.

Book Review: The Midnight Lock

Title: The Midnight Lock

Author: Jeffrey Deaver

Genre: Mystery

Format: Kindle

Series: Lincoln Rhyme

Book in Series: 15

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Published: November 30, 2021

Pages: 448

My Rating: Five Stars

Synopsis

When a woman arrives home to her Manhattan apartment to find her personal items have been rearranged while she slept, police initially dismiss her complaint.  Nothing was stolen, and there's no sign of breaking and entering.  

But when the same woman turns up dead, Lincoln Rhyme and Ameila Sachs are brought in to investigate and soon learn that the sociopathic intruder who calls himself "The Locksmith" can break through any lock or security system ever devised.  With more victims in the horizon, Rhyme, Sachs and their stable of associates must follow the evidence to the man's lair, and discover his true mission.

Their hunt is interrupted when an internal investigation in the police force uncovers what seems to be a crucial mistake in one of Rhyme's previous cases.  

He is fired as a consultant for the NYPD and must risk jail if he investigates the Locksmith case in secret.

My Thoughts:

As soon as I picked up this book and started reading, I knew this book was going to be hard to put down.  The plot was really well written, and also the story.  

Lincoln Rhyme and his wife Amelia Sachs race to solve a couple of strange break ins, that seem to not really look like anything has happened,  hence the Locksmith.  They race to stop the suspect and also race to make sure Lincoln doesn't go to jail.  

There are plenty of twists and turns in this story, and the book is very hard to put down.  

Jeffery has always written excellent books, but this one is at the top of the list.  It is a definite must read.

I would absolutely recommend this book! That is why I give this book five stars.

About the Author:

Jeffery Deaver is the New York bestselling author of nineteen suspense novels, including The Blue Nowhere, and The Bone Collector.  He has been nominated for three Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America and is a two time recipient of the Ellery Queen Readers Award for the Best Short Story of the year.

Jeffery lives in California and Virginia.

 

Book Review: Dead City

Title: Dead City

Author: Sean Platt and Johnny B. Turant

Genre: Mystery/ Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Series: Dead World

Book Number: 1

Format: Kindle

Publisher: Sterling and Stone; 2nd edition

Published: March 12, 2017

                                           Pages: 448

                                           My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis

Rising star Ian Keys has climbed to the top rungs of pharma giant Hemisphere-creator of Necrophage, the drug that paused the necrotic outbreak that allowed the infected to live among us.

Ian's new position gives him access to dangerous information that could ruin the company when ominous hints from an anonymous insider set him on the hung for the biggest secret of all, he discovers that the "cure" the company gave the world might not have been a cure at all.  

Now men are watching Ian's house.  They are following his wife wherever she goes.  When he is called to CEO Archibald Burgess's office, he is taken by armed guards, then plied with threats.

What would happen if Necrophage failed? Burgess asks what would become of our society if the disease were allowed to progress again, and all of our well behaved patients slowly turned feral?

There is only one person Ian can take his case to, reporter Alice Frank, who has been trying to blow the whistle on Hemisphere for years.

My thoughts

As I started reading this, at first I thought this was going to be an awesome book.  But as I was reading, I realized that it was basically a zombie like story plot.  Don't get me wrong, the plot was okay and interesting, but because it was a zombie sort of plot, I just couldn't see myself reading more of these books.  It started slow, and it felt like a soap opera.  Thus why I am only giving this a rating of 3 stars!

About the Authors

Sean Platt is an entrepreneur and founder of Sterling and Stone, where he makes stories with his partners, Johnny B. Truant and David W. Wright.

Sean is the best selling author of books that include Yesterday's Gone, and Invasion Series.

Sean is originally from Long Beach, California, but now lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two children.

Johnny B. Truant is co owner of Sterling and Stone.  He spends his days creating cool stuff with his partners Sean Platt and David W. Wright.

Johnny is the best selling author of over 100 books under various pen names, including the Fat Vampire and Invasion series.

Originally from Ohio, he now lives in Austin, Texas, where he is surrounded by creative types as weird as he is.

Book Review: The Chase

 Title: The Chase

Author: Candice Fox

Genre: Mystery

Format: Audiobook

Publisher: Random House Australia

Published: March 30, 2021

Pages: 367

My Rating: 3 stars

Synopsis:

When 650 of the world's most violent human beings pour out the Pronghorn Correctional Facility into the Nevada Desert, the biggest manhunt begins.

For John Kradle, this is his chance to prove his innocence, twenty six years after the murder of his wife and child.  He just needs to stay one step ahead of the law enforcement officers he knows will be chasing down the escapees.

My Thoughts:

Candice Fox is a new author to me.  As I was listening to this book, I have to say it was very slow, and I just couldn't get into the plot.  Granted, the story seemed well written, but it was kind of slow going.  John Kradle, is trying to prove his innocence, but I felt like this was a plot that has been explored so many times in movies and in books.  The characters while well written, just didn't appeal to me like I thought.  

So I am sorry to say, that I only give this book three stars.  This is my honest opinion.

About the Author:

Candice Fox is an Australian novelist who won the 2014 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel for Hades.  She was born in Western Suburbs of Sydney into  large family.  She spent a brief period in the Royal Australian Navy before studying and teaching on the university level.  In 2015, Candice started collaborating on a series of novels with best selling author James Patterson.

Book Review: Supreme Threat

Title:  Supreme Threat

Author: T.L. Williams

Genre: Mystery/Political Thriller

Format: Kindle

Series; Logan Alexander

Book in series: Number 5

Publisher: First Coast Publishers, LLC

Published: September 21, 2021

                                                Pages: 315

                                                My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

For years North Korea has dispatched illegal agents to the United States via third countries, where they have been busy establishing fifth columns capable of inflicting damage from close quarters, should the need arise.

While North Korea's leaders taunt the U.S. with intercontinental missiles capable of reaching U.S. shores, the North Korean Intelligence Service sends saboteurs into U.S communities, where they establish themselves in unassuming positions in the private sectors.

Our hero Logan Alexander is fresh off an assignment to the Middle East, where he successfully penetrated ISIS.  CIA's Director of Operations has hand picked one of his star recruiters for an assignment to Los Alamos, where he will bring much needed counter intelligence and operational expertise to bear against foreign security threats against the U.S.

My Thoughts:

As I have said in my earlier entries, this author is new to me.  T.L. Williams brings us into the life of a former Navy Seal turned spy.  He takes on a journey of international mystery, suspense and intrique.  His character Logan is a very blunt and to the point person.  We dive into the last book, that takes place during the pandemic, and see how he tries to stop North Korea from spying on our country.  

Granted this isn't as action packed as the first four books, but his character doesn't let us down, when it comes to action, and getting his man.  He always thinks about the whole scenairo, before taking action.

If you like political thrillers, and or suspense, this is definitely the book for you!  I would definitely recommend this book for anyone to read!

About the Author:

T.L. Williams is a veteran officer of the CIA's Clandestine Service.  Over a  thirty year career he served in Asia, Europe and Central Euro-Asia.

His books have won awards from Readers Favorite.  He is a member of the Jacksonville World Affairs Council, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and CIA Retirees Association.  He lives in northeast Florida with his wife Carol.

Book Review: Unit 400- The Assassins

 Title: Unit 400- The Assassins

Author: T.L. Williams

Genre: Thriller

Format: Kindle, Hardcopy

Series: Logan Alexander Series

Book: 2

Publisher: First Coast Publishers LLC

Published: December 10, 2013

Pages: 300

My Rating: 

Synopsis:

Logan and his wife Zahir moved to Boston.  They have set their sights on settling down and building new lives in the United States.

Meanwhile the Iranians have not forgotten not forgiven the US for it's attack on their secret bomb makin facility.  They have been working diligently over the past year and have managed to piece together a rough outline of what happened at Bandar Deylam.

My Thoughts: 

I have been reading the books by this author.  I am very impressed with the way he weaved the plot, and how he wrote how Logan and his wife tried to move on with their lives, but something came crashing into it.  The book takes us on a fast paced ride where again Logan is trying to protect his family and his way of life.  Unknown forces are threatening his way of life and his family's lives. People are trying to kill him and his family, and he must race to stop them.

The plot was very upbeat, and flowed and it kept you reading.  It was a definite page turner.

About the Author:

T.L. Williams is a veteran officer of the CIA's Clandestine Service.  Over a  thirty year career he served in Asia, Europe and Central Euro-Asia.

His books have won awards from Readers Favorite.  He is a member of the Jacksonville World Affairs Council, the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and CIA Retirees Association.  He lives in northeast Florida with his wife Carol.