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.

Book Review: Cooper's Revenge

 Title: Cooper's Revenge

Author: T.L. Williams

Genre: Thriller

Series: yes

Series name: Logan Alexander Series

Book in Series: Book 1

Format: Kindle, Amazon, Hardcopy

Publisher: First Coast Publishers, LLC

Published: December 5, 2013

Pages: 262 pages

My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

Navy Seal, Logan Alexander is trying to put his life back following a career ending injury in Afghanistan, when he learns that his younger brother Cooper, has been kidded in an ambush while on patrol with his Ranger unit in Iraq. 

 As Logan delves into the circumstances leading to Cooper's death, he learns of the role that the secret arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps., the QOD Force, plays in exporting terror.  Logan vows to avenge his brother's death. 

 With the backing of a billionaire, and a group of like minded Special Forces operatives, Logan conceives a plan that takes his team to the Sonora Desert, Europe, and the Middle East, where he comes to face to face with the man responsible for Cooper's death.

My thoughts:

This is a new author to me.  I found these books on Amazon, and was interested in the summary. I have to say I was impressed, and have thorughly enjoyed this book.. I am currently reading the second one in the series.  

Cooper's Revenge takes us into the world of military intrigue, and shows how a former Navy Seal is determined to get justice for his brother. It takes us from the United States all the way to Iran.  

The plot is flows very well.  It moves along, and keeps you on your toes.  We ride along with Logan and his team as he goes after the people who are responsible for his brother's death.

Definitely a must read book in my opinion.

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 Euroasia.

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: The Shadow of the Dragon

 Title: The Shadow of the Dragon

Author: Marc Cameron

Format: Kindle, Audiobook, Nook

Genre: Political Thriller

Series: Jack Ryan Novel

Series number: Book 20

Publisher: G.P. Putman's Sons

Published; November 17, 2020

                                           Pages: 512

                                           My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

Aboard an icebreaker in the Arctic Ocean, a sonar operator hears an unusual noise coming from the ocean floor.  She can't isolate it and chalks the event up to an anomaly in the newly installed system.

Meanwhile operatives, with the Chinese Ministry of State Security are dealing with their own mystery, the disappearance of a brilliant, but eccentric scientist, Liu Wangshu.  They are desperate to keep his crucial knowledge of aerospace, and naval technology out of their rivals hands.

Finding Liu is too great an opportunity for any intelligence service to pass up, but there's one more problem.  A high level Chinese mole, code named Surveyor.  

President Ryan has only one choice, send John Clark and his team into China.

About the Author:

A native of Texas, Marc Cameron is a retired Chief Deputy US Marchal, who spent nearly thirty years in law enforcement.  His assignments have taken him to Alaska, Manhattan, Canada, and Mexico, and many other points in between.

A second degree black belt in jujitsu, he often teaches defense tactic to other law enforcement agencies, and civilian groups.

Marc lives in Alaska with his wife and his BMW motorcycle.

Book Review: Death in Smoke

 

Title: Death in Smoke

Author: Barbara Elle

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Cape Mysteries

Series Book: 2

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: December 5, 2019

Pages 298

Format: Amazon, Kindle

My Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars

Synopsis: 

A bloodies body buried on Cape Cod.  A cold case in Kansas.  Can Lelia track down a killer? 

After a blinding snowstorm, artist and amateur slueth Leila Goodfriend wakes early in the morning to go for a walk in the woods.  Where she stumbles on a bloodied body of a woman.  Leila digs, her fingers bleed, shaking in fear.  She realizes who it is.  It is Suzie, ex girlfriend of Steve, a failed photographer she dumped months ago.  Leila was at a creative retreat with a group of Red Barn friends on an island off Cape Cod.  On the rebound from a relationship, Leila is dating John Grace.  He warns he to not investigate.  But she trusts he instincts, and is determined to investigate and prove Steve's innocence.

She observes Susie's autopsy, unauthorized, and it reveals an enigmatic clue, Susie died on a bed of roses, that were long stemmed.  Steve begs Leila to help him, he swears he has evidence that the killer is a suspect in a cold case in Kansas.

My Thoughts:

While I enjoy a good mystery, I just couldn't get into this book. I am not sure if it because I haven't read the book before this one, or what.  But the plot was slow and it took to long to get the investigation started. 

Hence, why I give this book three and a half stars.

About the Author:

Barbara Elle fell in love with books and writing at a young age, honing her writing chops as a copywriter at major publishers and as a freelance journalist.

She grew up in Boston, moving to New York, but her writing draws on people and places from her childhood.

Barbara continues collecting characters and plots, often traveling the world with her touring musician husband, the musical director for rock and roll icon Cyndi Lauper.  In her travels, Barbara has explored Buddist temples in Beijing, crypts in Vienna and Kabuki Theater in Tokyo.

Book Review: The President's Daughter

 

Title: The President's Daughter

Author: Bill Clinton and James Patterson

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Format: Kindle, Audiobook

Pages: 609

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company and Knopf

Published: June 7, 2021

My Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis:

Matthew Keating, former Navy Seal, and also former president, has always defended his family as loyally as he has as he has his country. 

A madman has kidnapped Keating's daughter Melanie, turning every parents fear into a matter of national security.  As the world watches in real time, Keating embarks on a special ops mission that tests him, as a father, as a man, a leader, and a warrior.

My thoughts:

I have truly enjoyed this book!  I had no idea that Bill Clinton was an excellent author!  The plot was excellent and thrilling.  It kept you want to find out if Matthew Keating is able to rescue his daughter and also to find out what happens next.  It was also a tear jerker.  This book in my opinion is every parents worse nightmare, having a child being kidnapped is like a shot to the gut.  As a parent, I was cheering Keating on and praying that he would find and rescue his daughter. 

I have always enjoyed James Patterson, but truly have enjoyed The President's Daughter as well as The President is Missing.  Bill Clinton take us on a journey of intrigue, and no stop thrilling action.  

It is a definite must read book.  I will definitely be on the watch for more from Bill Clinton and James Patterson.

About the Author:

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton was the forty-second President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001.  He was the third youngest president, older only than Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.  He became president at the end of the Cold War, and is known as the first baby boomer president.

Since leaving office, he has been involved in public speaking, and humanitarian work.  In 2004, he released a personal autobiography, My Life,