Title – Modi Indorum
Author – Karma Lei Angelo
Genre – Mystery, Suspense
244 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 5/14/2022
No. 20 - 2022
My Impressions: violent, girly sleuth, intense,
Main Characters:
Detective Ameena Jardine – Forensic Geomorphologist, Major Crimes Investigative Services Bureau.
Conrad – Deputy Director, Ameena's boss
Tony Asserbbo – DEA agent.
Ameena Jardine has changed careers at age forty after her undercover agent husband was murdered and she was shot. She chose to retrain in law enforcement over her civil engineering job and moved her children from Texas to New Hampshire to be with her mother and step-father. Several corpses lead to conclusions that a secret international drug cartel, the Fasciata Order, that few people have any information on, is behind those and many other deaths. How this highly sophisticated gang has evaded detection worldwide for decades is the biggest mystery here.
Tony falls in love with Ameena at their first meeting, and she has reciprocal feelings. But for vague reasons she resists his advances and keeps him at arm's length.
This is not a stand-alone story; it ends without a conclusion. To learn more, you'll need to buy the next installment of the trilogy. It appears to be one long story chopped into three novels.
There is occasional hard-core cursing, mostly by Ameena as she attempts to come off as tough in a "man's job".
The story reminds me more of a 'Cozy Mystery' than Suspense. Ameena is extremely emotional. Most female readers should enjoy it, but many males will find it slow and carrying too much emotional baggage.
The editing is weak with too many missing, extra, misspelled and wrong words used. It's not terrible but far from perfect. Some sentence structures are clumsy and confusing and take rereading.
Details of issues I wanted to know more about are lacking.
Research on body art, poison and the blue octopus is good.
The writing style is wordy with too many passive sentences.
The plot is interesting but wordiness drags it down.
I communicated to the author and she assured me the editing has been improved and the inordinate number of passive sentences were dealt with.
In spite of its shortfalls in the original issue, I did enjoy the story and recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Karma Lei Angelo
Genre – Mystery, Suspense
244 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 5/14/2022
No. 20 - 2022
My Impressions: violent, girly sleuth, intense,
Main Characters:
Detective Ameena Jardine – Forensic Geomorphologist, Major Crimes Investigative Services Bureau.
Conrad – Deputy Director, Ameena's boss
Tony Asserbbo – DEA agent.
Ameena Jardine has changed careers at age forty after her undercover agent husband was murdered and she was shot. She chose to retrain in law enforcement over her civil engineering job and moved her children from Texas to New Hampshire to be with her mother and step-father. Several corpses lead to conclusions that a secret international drug cartel, the Fasciata Order, that few people have any information on, is behind those and many other deaths. How this highly sophisticated gang has evaded detection worldwide for decades is the biggest mystery here.
Tony falls in love with Ameena at their first meeting, and she has reciprocal feelings. But for vague reasons she resists his advances and keeps him at arm's length.
This is not a stand-alone story; it ends without a conclusion. To learn more, you'll need to buy the next installment of the trilogy. It appears to be one long story chopped into three novels.
There is occasional hard-core cursing, mostly by Ameena as she attempts to come off as tough in a "man's job".
The story reminds me more of a 'Cozy Mystery' than Suspense. Ameena is extremely emotional. Most female readers should enjoy it, but many males will find it slow and carrying too much emotional baggage.
The editing is weak with too many missing, extra, misspelled and wrong words used. It's not terrible but far from perfect. Some sentence structures are clumsy and confusing and take rereading.
Details of issues I wanted to know more about are lacking.
Research on body art, poison and the blue octopus is good.
The writing style is wordy with too many passive sentences.
The plot is interesting but wordiness drags it down.
I communicated to the author and she assured me the editing has been improved and the inordinate number of passive sentences were dealt with.
In spite of its shortfalls in the original issue, I did enjoy the story and recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Red Fortress
Author – Stephane Daniels
Genre – Suspense, Thriller
275 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 5/6/2022
No. 19 - 2022
My Impressions: Brutal terrorist, betrayal, facing the truth, hard hitting.
Main Characters:
Patrick Dunn aka Rick – Lt. in Home Land Security Counterintelligence unit
Claire Redfield - US intelligence analyst with terrorist connection.
Al Thawadi – The Master, a diabolical Muslim terrorist
The Red Fortress is an excellent story with great characters. The main terrorist, Al Thawadi, has a fresh, intelligent but evil personality and the plot flows smoothly with many surprises. The in-depth characterization of the three main characters carries the story.
Rick Dunn is a professional terrorist hunter who enjoys his job. He dislikes his contact in the White House with good reason. His personal demons are the price he pays for his mental involvement and distractions because of his job.
Claire Redfield is the daughter of a US soldier and an Egyptian woman. They were separated and their child was sold by her grandparents to terrorist where she was trained. She came to the US to live with her father and was assigned to a terrorist sleeper cell. Fifteen years later she is called upon to activate.
The story takes the reader from Qatar to Dubai to Florida, New York, and South America. If you like the story, the author is working on a follow up story.
I highly recommend The Red Fortress to fans of international terrorist plots.
The editing is almost impeccable with only a few minor errors. Sentence structure and character development are very good.
Research of foreign cities and the US government agencies is evident.
The writing style is crisp and intense.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Stephane Daniels
Genre – Suspense, Thriller
275 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 5/6/2022
No. 19 - 2022
My Impressions: Brutal terrorist, betrayal, facing the truth, hard hitting.
Main Characters:
Patrick Dunn aka Rick – Lt. in Home Land Security Counterintelligence unit
Claire Redfield - US intelligence analyst with terrorist connection.
Al Thawadi – The Master, a diabolical Muslim terrorist
The Red Fortress is an excellent story with great characters. The main terrorist, Al Thawadi, has a fresh, intelligent but evil personality and the plot flows smoothly with many surprises. The in-depth characterization of the three main characters carries the story.
Rick Dunn is a professional terrorist hunter who enjoys his job. He dislikes his contact in the White House with good reason. His personal demons are the price he pays for his mental involvement and distractions because of his job.
Claire Redfield is the daughter of a US soldier and an Egyptian woman. They were separated and their child was sold by her grandparents to terrorist where she was trained. She came to the US to live with her father and was assigned to a terrorist sleeper cell. Fifteen years later she is called upon to activate.
The story takes the reader from Qatar to Dubai to Florida, New York, and South America. If you like the story, the author is working on a follow up story.
I highly recommend The Red Fortress to fans of international terrorist plots.
The editing is almost impeccable with only a few minor errors. Sentence structure and character development are very good.
Research of foreign cities and the US government agencies is evident.
The writing style is crisp and intense.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Invisible Investigation
Author – Lionel Touzellier
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
377 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 18 - 2022
Posted 5/1//2022
My Impressions: Lots of action, follows old evidence of past investigations.
Main Characters:
Dr. Joshua Mandley - Nanotechnology researcher.
Dr. Mei Wang - Psychologist
Roy Harrison – Wealthy Texas ranch owner, obsessed with the JFK assassination.
Two Doctors with different degrees are assigned to investigate the 1963 assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th president of the United States. Joshua and Mei spend a lot of time explaining their very different methods of analyzing existing evidence as they prepare to search for new leads and clues about the murder. If you like in depth scientific discourse you may find it interesting. I didn't. It was necessary but dull.
As soon as new evidence is uncovered an undisclosed group of super agents steals all traces of the evidence and Dr. Mandley's test results. If only our CIA and FBI agents were as capable as the bad guys who run wild and have insights the supposedly good guys can't match.
Then the old cowboy, Roy Harrison, gets involved and sends the investigators on a trail of clues he says will reveal the true killer of JFK.
There is abundant action, several false leads, betrayals, and foreign government meddling.
As with most novels based on true life events, the author doesn't try to change history, and that's to his credit.
The editing is better than most indie publications but has a few issues with missing, extra and wrong words.
Sentence structure is good.
Research is lacking.
Since the plot is based on a historical event it is limited and confined to follow the facts of the murder.
Some of the action scenes are weak. Example: A BMW sedan parks over a manhole in the street. Someone in the manhole slides the cover aside and uses a cutting torch to burn through the floor near the car's backseat. Evidence being gathered is then passed to him through the opening. No mention is made of the toxic smoke and fumes created as the metal floor and carpet are torched. When the agent with the evidence enters the car, no mention is made of smoke or the acrid smell. Obviously, the author knows nothing about the use of a cutting torch, but I do.
The story was enjoyable, but I won't recommend it strongly because of issues mentioned.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Lionel Touzellier
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
377 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 18 - 2022
Posted 5/1//2022
My Impressions: Lots of action, follows old evidence of past investigations.
Main Characters:
Dr. Joshua Mandley - Nanotechnology researcher.
Dr. Mei Wang - Psychologist
Roy Harrison – Wealthy Texas ranch owner, obsessed with the JFK assassination.
Two Doctors with different degrees are assigned to investigate the 1963 assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th president of the United States. Joshua and Mei spend a lot of time explaining their very different methods of analyzing existing evidence as they prepare to search for new leads and clues about the murder. If you like in depth scientific discourse you may find it interesting. I didn't. It was necessary but dull.
As soon as new evidence is uncovered an undisclosed group of super agents steals all traces of the evidence and Dr. Mandley's test results. If only our CIA and FBI agents were as capable as the bad guys who run wild and have insights the supposedly good guys can't match.
Then the old cowboy, Roy Harrison, gets involved and sends the investigators on a trail of clues he says will reveal the true killer of JFK.
There is abundant action, several false leads, betrayals, and foreign government meddling.
As with most novels based on true life events, the author doesn't try to change history, and that's to his credit.
The editing is better than most indie publications but has a few issues with missing, extra and wrong words.
Sentence structure is good.
Research is lacking.
Since the plot is based on a historical event it is limited and confined to follow the facts of the murder.
Some of the action scenes are weak. Example: A BMW sedan parks over a manhole in the street. Someone in the manhole slides the cover aside and uses a cutting torch to burn through the floor near the car's backseat. Evidence being gathered is then passed to him through the opening. No mention is made of the toxic smoke and fumes created as the metal floor and carpet are torched. When the agent with the evidence enters the car, no mention is made of smoke or the acrid smell. Obviously, the author knows nothing about the use of a cutting torch, but I do.
The story was enjoyable, but I won't recommend it strongly because of issues mentioned.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Tate Drawdy
Author – Michael Ludden
Genre – Suspense, Thriller
260 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 4/24/2022
No. 17 - 2022
My Impressions: Hard boiled action, vigilante justice.
Main Characters:
Tate Drawdy – Savannah Ga. Detective
Jimmy Patterson - Detective
John Robert Griffin – psychopath.
Tate Drawdy, the tough, handsome new detective in town is soon engaged in working three separate cases. He didn't count on help from a 'friendly' psychopathic killer who also has Tate in his sights. The psychopath, a demented nun, and a sexual predator priest add color and interest to this rough and tumble tale.
Sometimes Tate's worst enemy is himself as he plays lone wolf and gets deeper in trouble than he can handle.
Tate's no-nonsense approach to solving problems draws the wrath of a group of rogue officers who have their own vision of police work. To those officer's dismay, Tate is quickly 'adopted' by an experienced and honest Detective.
Toward the end, Tate meets a group of retired out-of-town officers who enjoy thwarting the bad guys by 'assisting' active officers. Their off the books actions get the job done in exciting and imaginative style.
The editing and sentence structure of Tate Drawdy is excellent.
The author has interspersed short, choppy fragments and done it well. It gives a fresh cadence to the story.
The plot is excellent, involved, and thrilling.
The descriptions of Savannah and its old mansions added to the feeling of being in the old south.
Character development is thorough for the two main characters and more than adequate for sub-characters.
I highly recommend Tate Drawdy for crime story fans. Try it. You won't be disappointed.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Michael Ludden
Genre – Suspense, Thriller
260 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 4/24/2022
No. 17 - 2022
My Impressions: Hard boiled action, vigilante justice.
Main Characters:
Tate Drawdy – Savannah Ga. Detective
Jimmy Patterson - Detective
John Robert Griffin – psychopath.
Tate Drawdy, the tough, handsome new detective in town is soon engaged in working three separate cases. He didn't count on help from a 'friendly' psychopathic killer who also has Tate in his sights. The psychopath, a demented nun, and a sexual predator priest add color and interest to this rough and tumble tale.
Sometimes Tate's worst enemy is himself as he plays lone wolf and gets deeper in trouble than he can handle.
Tate's no-nonsense approach to solving problems draws the wrath of a group of rogue officers who have their own vision of police work. To those officer's dismay, Tate is quickly 'adopted' by an experienced and honest Detective.
Toward the end, Tate meets a group of retired out-of-town officers who enjoy thwarting the bad guys by 'assisting' active officers. Their off the books actions get the job done in exciting and imaginative style.
The editing and sentence structure of Tate Drawdy is excellent.
The author has interspersed short, choppy fragments and done it well. It gives a fresh cadence to the story.
The plot is excellent, involved, and thrilling.
The descriptions of Savannah and its old mansions added to the feeling of being in the old south.
Character development is thorough for the two main characters and more than adequate for sub-characters.
I highly recommend Tate Drawdy for crime story fans. Try it. You won't be disappointed.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – A Burning in the Darkness
Author – A P McGrath
Genre – Crime, Mystery, Thriller
360 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No 16-2022
Posted 4/16/2022
My impressions: intrigue, deeply emotional, brutal murders,
Main Characters:
Father Michael Kieh – Catholic Priest, from Africa
Leonie Urey/Jenkins– Childhood friend from Africa.
Joan Macintosh -married woman who has a crush on Michael.
Dan Peterson – Friend of Michael’s
Detective Mason Lenislake – Good cop
Detective Dewi Blank – Corrupt cop.
A Burning in the Darkness is an intense and unusual story involving a Catholic Priest who vacillates between being God’s disciple and being a normal man with sexual and emotional needs.
Michael Kieh was born in Liberia, Africa during a time of civil war. He witnessed his entire family being raped and butchered by his uncle and a group of child soldiers. His escape and ordeal to becoming a priest was fraught with danger and betrayal. The abrupt leaving to achieve his personal goal of becoming a priest caused heartbreak in a close friend that would later come back to haunt him.
Michael presided over a small non-denominal church in a busy English airport and that is where the current story takes place. He is embroiled in controversy over the right of a priest to withhold evidence based on the Seal of Confession, believing that information given during confession is private between the priest and confessor. That belief drags Michael into criminal court on charges against him in a murder trial.
He is at a distinct disadvantage in a snake pit of intrigue, murder and betrayal because of corrupt law enforcement officers and his own adherence to his belief in his chosen religion.
The story is full of conflict and delves deeply into Father Kieh’s personal beliefs and character.
The editing and sentence structure of A Burning in the Darkness is excellent.
Research is good.
The writing style is strong and tightly focused.
The dialog attributed to the African immigrants is slightly difficult to read because of missing words and usage.
In the last five percent of the book I felt the author skipped ahead at breakneck speed and some important details were omitted. This did not impact the overall ending severely but made it a bit murky.
This is a great story and I highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – A P McGrath
Genre – Crime, Mystery, Thriller
360 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No 16-2022
Posted 4/16/2022
My impressions: intrigue, deeply emotional, brutal murders,
Main Characters:
Father Michael Kieh – Catholic Priest, from Africa
Leonie Urey/Jenkins– Childhood friend from Africa.
Joan Macintosh -married woman who has a crush on Michael.
Dan Peterson – Friend of Michael’s
Detective Mason Lenislake – Good cop
Detective Dewi Blank – Corrupt cop.
A Burning in the Darkness is an intense and unusual story involving a Catholic Priest who vacillates between being God’s disciple and being a normal man with sexual and emotional needs.
Michael Kieh was born in Liberia, Africa during a time of civil war. He witnessed his entire family being raped and butchered by his uncle and a group of child soldiers. His escape and ordeal to becoming a priest was fraught with danger and betrayal. The abrupt leaving to achieve his personal goal of becoming a priest caused heartbreak in a close friend that would later come back to haunt him.
Michael presided over a small non-denominal church in a busy English airport and that is where the current story takes place. He is embroiled in controversy over the right of a priest to withhold evidence based on the Seal of Confession, believing that information given during confession is private between the priest and confessor. That belief drags Michael into criminal court on charges against him in a murder trial.
He is at a distinct disadvantage in a snake pit of intrigue, murder and betrayal because of corrupt law enforcement officers and his own adherence to his belief in his chosen religion.
The story is full of conflict and delves deeply into Father Kieh’s personal beliefs and character.
The editing and sentence structure of A Burning in the Darkness is excellent.
Research is good.
The writing style is strong and tightly focused.
The dialog attributed to the African immigrants is slightly difficult to read because of missing words and usage.
In the last five percent of the book I felt the author skipped ahead at breakneck speed and some important details were omitted. This did not impact the overall ending severely but made it a bit murky.
This is a great story and I highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Sally St. Johns
Author – Denise Heinze
Genre – Thriller Satire
212 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 15 – 2022
Posted 4/9/2022
My impressions: Funny to silly.
Main Characters:
Sally St. Johns – Do-gooder woman with a checkered past, now CEO of a small environmental company.
Detective Withers – Intelligent, bumbling detective struggling to accept the loss of his wife.
Bud – Sally’s lawyer to defend her against terrorist charges.
Mom- Sally’s mother. Reminded me of Estelle Getty from The Golden Girls.
First, let me be clear. Sally St. Johns is not a Thriller. There is little tension or rational conflict. If I reviewed it as such it would get a rating of 1 star.
The story is Satire. It goes from funny to silly to ridiculous, but never approaches thrilling. The four-star rating I’ve given it is based on it being SATIRE.
The majority of Sally St. Johns is told as flashbacks of Sally’s life from the time she was five years old. Maybe twenty-five percent of the story is spent on the main plot of her being a national threat.
Sally has been in charge of teaching inner city people to garden on vacant lots in Detroit, served for a time as a pimp for a group of good-hearted prostitutes, became a professional basketball player and then mysteriously rose to the position of CEO of a small startup environmental company she organized. Her brilliant breakthrough idea is to collect human waste from the sewage systems and use the gas it releases to replace fossil fuels and put the big oil companies out of business.
But out of her past a person calling himself Switchgrass is undermining her efforts and convinces the FBI and CIA that Sally is a terrorist. She goes from being held prisoner in a barn by a pair of goofy FBI rogue agents to attending a secret meeting in the situation room at the White House.
The writing is funny and the sub-characters are goofy to endearing. Mom is a high point in the silliness.
The editing is not perfect, but acceptable as is sentence structure.
Character development is good for the primary characters, Sally and her mother.
Details are sparse. Things just happen with no background as to how. How did Sally get the financial backing to start her company and hire fifty employees without ever showing a profit? The significant environmental breakthrough she touted sounded like a feeble pipe dream.
How did a pimp running one prostitute acquire money to buy explosives and a yacht? How did he manage to smuggle bombs into nuclear power plants? The reader is expected to accept these things just happening because they’re needed to move the story along.
If you are looking for a good crime thriller pass on this book. If you like humorous satire enjoy it as such.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Denise Heinze
Genre – Thriller Satire
212 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 15 – 2022
Posted 4/9/2022
My impressions: Funny to silly.
Main Characters:
Sally St. Johns – Do-gooder woman with a checkered past, now CEO of a small environmental company.
Detective Withers – Intelligent, bumbling detective struggling to accept the loss of his wife.
Bud – Sally’s lawyer to defend her against terrorist charges.
Mom- Sally’s mother. Reminded me of Estelle Getty from The Golden Girls.
First, let me be clear. Sally St. Johns is not a Thriller. There is little tension or rational conflict. If I reviewed it as such it would get a rating of 1 star.
The story is Satire. It goes from funny to silly to ridiculous, but never approaches thrilling. The four-star rating I’ve given it is based on it being SATIRE.
The majority of Sally St. Johns is told as flashbacks of Sally’s life from the time she was five years old. Maybe twenty-five percent of the story is spent on the main plot of her being a national threat.
Sally has been in charge of teaching inner city people to garden on vacant lots in Detroit, served for a time as a pimp for a group of good-hearted prostitutes, became a professional basketball player and then mysteriously rose to the position of CEO of a small startup environmental company she organized. Her brilliant breakthrough idea is to collect human waste from the sewage systems and use the gas it releases to replace fossil fuels and put the big oil companies out of business.
But out of her past a person calling himself Switchgrass is undermining her efforts and convinces the FBI and CIA that Sally is a terrorist. She goes from being held prisoner in a barn by a pair of goofy FBI rogue agents to attending a secret meeting in the situation room at the White House.
The writing is funny and the sub-characters are goofy to endearing. Mom is a high point in the silliness.
The editing is not perfect, but acceptable as is sentence structure.
Character development is good for the primary characters, Sally and her mother.
Details are sparse. Things just happen with no background as to how. How did Sally get the financial backing to start her company and hire fifty employees without ever showing a profit? The significant environmental breakthrough she touted sounded like a feeble pipe dream.
How did a pimp running one prostitute acquire money to buy explosives and a yacht? How did he manage to smuggle bombs into nuclear power plants? The reader is expected to accept these things just happening because they’re needed to move the story along.
If you are looking for a good crime thriller pass on this book. If you like humorous satire enjoy it as such.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – A Most Unusual Senorita
Author – Joseph R, Costa
Genre – Historical Fiction
Word Count - 74,500
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 14 - 2022
Posted 4/2/2022
My Impressions: Exciting swashbuckling adventure in 16th century Spain
Main Characters:
Mateo, Guillermo, and Mencia are three true friends.
The setting is sixteenth-century Spain. The three friends are males Mateo and Guillermo, and female Mencia. This is at a time when women wore dresses and were delicate little flowers. Mencia doesn’t fit the traditional role of the dainty, frail, meek woman. She is a tomboy who is as skilled in fighting and weapons as her two problem-solving male compatriots. The three of them go from one swashbuckling adventure to another while rescuing kidnapped victims or destroying violent highwaymen.
The time period is one of violence and the heroic trio doles out deadly punishment to those who prey on the innocents around them. A large cast of subcharacters and family issues add to the flavor of the times and gives much needed respites to the ongoing adventures of the heroes.
This is the second story of a series that promises a third tale to come.
The editing and sentence structure are weak but not terrible.
Character development is good for the main characters and frequently called upon subcharacters.
Details are adequate and period research is apparent.
The plot is fresh even in the historical setting.
Writing style is simple and straight forward but interesting and exciting.
I highly recommend this series of adventure stories.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Joseph R, Costa
Genre – Historical Fiction
Word Count - 74,500
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 14 - 2022
Posted 4/2/2022
My Impressions: Exciting swashbuckling adventure in 16th century Spain
Main Characters:
Mateo, Guillermo, and Mencia are three true friends.
The setting is sixteenth-century Spain. The three friends are males Mateo and Guillermo, and female Mencia. This is at a time when women wore dresses and were delicate little flowers. Mencia doesn’t fit the traditional role of the dainty, frail, meek woman. She is a tomboy who is as skilled in fighting and weapons as her two problem-solving male compatriots. The three of them go from one swashbuckling adventure to another while rescuing kidnapped victims or destroying violent highwaymen.
The time period is one of violence and the heroic trio doles out deadly punishment to those who prey on the innocents around them. A large cast of subcharacters and family issues add to the flavor of the times and gives much needed respites to the ongoing adventures of the heroes.
This is the second story of a series that promises a third tale to come.
The editing and sentence structure are weak but not terrible.
Character development is good for the main characters and frequently called upon subcharacters.
Details are adequate and period research is apparent.
The plot is fresh even in the historical setting.
Writing style is simple and straight forward but interesting and exciting.
I highly recommend this series of adventure stories.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Only Gold
Author – Ethan Luke
Genre – Thriller
221 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 13 – 2022
Posted 3/25/2022
My impressions: gory, violent, excessive, loving relationship, redemption.
The main characters:
Atilius – a low-life thief with goodness buried deep within him.
Diana – an angelic female on earth to show Atilius the way to true love.
Braxes – evil incarnate, wealthy merchant and owner of slaves he feeds to the fighting pits for profit.
Early in the story Atilius steals from Braxes, is beaten nearly to death and left in a muddy alley to die. Diana finds him, nurses him back to health and they slowly fall in love.
Then after a devastating personal loss the story goes into overdrive when Atilius sells himself to Braxes to be a slave and fight in the pits. Is he only seeking death, or does he aspire to absolution? For over a year he fights and wins in one bloody, brutal match after another as he learns to care for and defend a small circle of fellow slave gladiators.
Even as he survives the brutality of the fighting pits to provide entertainment to the repulsive spectators who encourage the beastly acts inflicted on the armed combatants, he manages to incur the wrath of Braxes.
I recommend this story except for those who can't stomach the thought of hacking, stabbing, burning and other acts to maim or kill human beings.
The book's editing and sentence structure are very good.
Character development in The Only Gold is insightful and gritty.
Details and research are thorough and reflect the times of gladiators perfectly.
The plot is intense and convoluted and keeps the reader guessing as to what could possibly happen next.
The writing style is intense and carries the reader from despair to exhilaration and down again in a continuous circle.
The only failing I found was the identical scars inflicted on both Atilius and Diana when they were very young; it was never explained how that came to be or the connection between them.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Ethan Luke
Genre – Thriller
221 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 13 – 2022
Posted 3/25/2022
My impressions: gory, violent, excessive, loving relationship, redemption.
The main characters:
Atilius – a low-life thief with goodness buried deep within him.
Diana – an angelic female on earth to show Atilius the way to true love.
Braxes – evil incarnate, wealthy merchant and owner of slaves he feeds to the fighting pits for profit.
Early in the story Atilius steals from Braxes, is beaten nearly to death and left in a muddy alley to die. Diana finds him, nurses him back to health and they slowly fall in love.
Then after a devastating personal loss the story goes into overdrive when Atilius sells himself to Braxes to be a slave and fight in the pits. Is he only seeking death, or does he aspire to absolution? For over a year he fights and wins in one bloody, brutal match after another as he learns to care for and defend a small circle of fellow slave gladiators.
Even as he survives the brutality of the fighting pits to provide entertainment to the repulsive spectators who encourage the beastly acts inflicted on the armed combatants, he manages to incur the wrath of Braxes.
I recommend this story except for those who can't stomach the thought of hacking, stabbing, burning and other acts to maim or kill human beings.
The book's editing and sentence structure are very good.
Character development in The Only Gold is insightful and gritty.
Details and research are thorough and reflect the times of gladiators perfectly.
The plot is intense and convoluted and keeps the reader guessing as to what could possibly happen next.
The writing style is intense and carries the reader from despair to exhilaration and down again in a continuous circle.
The only failing I found was the identical scars inflicted on both Atilius and Diana when they were very young; it was never explained how that came to be or the connection between them.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – No Place in Heaven
Author – David Lee Dambrosio
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
307 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 11 - 2022
Posted 3/18/2022
My Impressions: Witty, great plot, interesting characters, government corruption, murder, cover-ups.
Main Characters:
Sam Price – Knoxberg TN. Police Sargent. Good looking, conniver who walks both sides of the law.
Kim Price – Sam's wife. A wife any sensible man would cherish.
Phil Price – Police Chief, Sam's brother. A good man who is always ready to profit from shadowy deals.
Stan - Businessman and close friend of Chief Price. Involved in shady and illegal ventures.
Gina - The police chief's secretary. A good woman who falls in love and bed with a married man.
No Place in Heaven is full of cursing and sexual situations. If those issues offend you, don't read it.
This is a serious story showcasing characters we all know and associate with. Some are crooks, a few are honest (think priest). The primary character is a serial cock hound who has always routinely cheated on his wife.
There are quite a few additional and interesting characters besides the main characters. They are fascinating and their individuality is well written so they standout and are memorable.
There is a lot of sex talk but no graphic porn descriptions.
Knoxberg is portrayed as a typical small city where the local politicians are mostly crooks who pass laws to benefit themselves over the other residents.
One of the story's greatest flaws is where scene changes begin. It often takes three or four sentences before the reader learns the identity of the character or characters involved.
The editing and sentence structure are mostly good with minor issues.
Character development for everyone is good.
Some details are sketchy especially for some of the financial shenanigans.
The plot is complex and has as many twists and turns and ups and downs as a winding mountain road full of hairpin curves.
The writing style is consistent and easy to read and follow except for the numerous scene changes.
I thoroughly enjoyed No Place in Heaven and recommend it highly.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – David Lee Dambrosio
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
307 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 11 - 2022
Posted 3/18/2022
My Impressions: Witty, great plot, interesting characters, government corruption, murder, cover-ups.
Main Characters:
Sam Price – Knoxberg TN. Police Sargent. Good looking, conniver who walks both sides of the law.
Kim Price – Sam's wife. A wife any sensible man would cherish.
Phil Price – Police Chief, Sam's brother. A good man who is always ready to profit from shadowy deals.
Stan - Businessman and close friend of Chief Price. Involved in shady and illegal ventures.
Gina - The police chief's secretary. A good woman who falls in love and bed with a married man.
No Place in Heaven is full of cursing and sexual situations. If those issues offend you, don't read it.
This is a serious story showcasing characters we all know and associate with. Some are crooks, a few are honest (think priest). The primary character is a serial cock hound who has always routinely cheated on his wife.
There are quite a few additional and interesting characters besides the main characters. They are fascinating and their individuality is well written so they standout and are memorable.
There is a lot of sex talk but no graphic porn descriptions.
Knoxberg is portrayed as a typical small city where the local politicians are mostly crooks who pass laws to benefit themselves over the other residents.
One of the story's greatest flaws is where scene changes begin. It often takes three or four sentences before the reader learns the identity of the character or characters involved.
The editing and sentence structure are mostly good with minor issues.
Character development for everyone is good.
Some details are sketchy especially for some of the financial shenanigans.
The plot is complex and has as many twists and turns and ups and downs as a winding mountain road full of hairpin curves.
The writing style is consistent and easy to read and follow except for the numerous scene changes.
I thoroughly enjoyed No Place in Heaven and recommend it highly.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Forgotten Lands
Author – Justin Warren
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
294 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars our of 5
No. 08 - 2022
Posted 3/12/2022
My Impressions: Good plot, bad politicians, govt. corruption, foreign deal making.
Main Characters:
Det. Dylan Harper – 34-year-old, 2 year detective with a troubling past.
Det. Joe Gardella – Dylan's partner and mentor.
Jonathon Hayes – Missing reporter.
The Forgotten Lands takes place on the west coast of New Zealand. On the east coast, Christchurch has suffered a major earthquake and its succeeding aftershocks. Many buildings are irreparably damaged and being torn down. The central police station is one of those.
Dylan and Joe are assigned out of their district to investigate the disappearance of a Westport N.Z. newspaper reporter. They both suspect there is more to the assignment than their boss tells them.
In his youth Harper was a deeply troubled young man in Westport and has a criminal past there. In spite of that, he became a policeman in Christchurch and has risen through the ranks to become a detective.
The case of the missing reporter is quickly overridden by a much bigger twist in the plot.
The story has a good plot with many surprises.
The ending is a cliff-hanger to lead into the next book in the series.
The editing is not good, not terrible, but needs professional help.
Some sentence structures need to be reorganized.
Details about Westport N.Z are okay and add to the story.
The writing style is simple but wordy. It is written without uncommon words that need to be looked up.
I enjoyed the story and strongly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Justin Warren
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
294 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars our of 5
No. 08 - 2022
Posted 3/12/2022
My Impressions: Good plot, bad politicians, govt. corruption, foreign deal making.
Main Characters:
Det. Dylan Harper – 34-year-old, 2 year detective with a troubling past.
Det. Joe Gardella – Dylan's partner and mentor.
Jonathon Hayes – Missing reporter.
The Forgotten Lands takes place on the west coast of New Zealand. On the east coast, Christchurch has suffered a major earthquake and its succeeding aftershocks. Many buildings are irreparably damaged and being torn down. The central police station is one of those.
Dylan and Joe are assigned out of their district to investigate the disappearance of a Westport N.Z. newspaper reporter. They both suspect there is more to the assignment than their boss tells them.
In his youth Harper was a deeply troubled young man in Westport and has a criminal past there. In spite of that, he became a policeman in Christchurch and has risen through the ranks to become a detective.
The case of the missing reporter is quickly overridden by a much bigger twist in the plot.
The story has a good plot with many surprises.
The ending is a cliff-hanger to lead into the next book in the series.
The editing is not good, not terrible, but needs professional help.
Some sentence structures need to be reorganized.
Details about Westport N.Z are okay and add to the story.
The writing style is simple but wordy. It is written without uncommon words that need to be looked up.
I enjoyed the story and strongly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Assassin is Created -
Book One of The Irrevocable Change Trilogy
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Thriller, Assassin
104,800 Words
Rating - 5 stars out of 5
No. 09 - 2022
Posted 3/5/2022
My impressions: frighteningly realistic, violent yet caring, driven, tenacious, and unrelenting.
Main Characters:
Clayton Albrecht – The Assassin
Tony Giliano – Clayton’s mentor and father of his best friend, Mafia boss of a territory in southwest Chicago.
Anna - Tony’s wife and wannabe bad woman Mafia boss.
Joey Tadono – Tony’s second in command of his illegal activities and chief enforcer.
Margaret - Clayton’s mother.
Lizzy – Clayton’s younger sister.
Adrianna Giliano – Tony and Anna’s only daughter.
Near the beginning of the plot, Clayton is involved in the accidental death of a drunk who attacked him. He then took up the vigilante murder of a man who killed his lifelong best friend. Months later he avenged another gang's attack on Tony that put Tony in the hospital. Under Clay’s tutelage fourteen of the attacking gang’s leaders were killed in a single attack.
Circumstances quickly arose that led to Clayton being blackballed from his union laborer job. When Tony mentioned another boss was looking for a hitman to take out a convicted pedophile, Clayton volunteered and began his career of killing for money. The conversations between Clay and Tony about Clay’s choice to be a professional assassin were realistic and brought out the close relationship they shared.
An unexpected aspect of Clay’s new career came through when he had to deal with a situation involving his younger sister, Lizzy. He hadn’t expected his murderous skills to be used in his personal life and was deeply troubled by it.
Clay discovered there were other family problems to deal with and again it involved Lizzy. I laughed out loud as the situation with Lizzy and Irish unfolded with Clay in the middle. I found the writing hilarious.
Eventually, after starting a business to cover his extended trips away on contract kills, Clay bought a home and moved away from the watchful eyes of Margaret.
Clay’s life became more complicated when he and Adrianna began a secret affair without telling Tony or Anna. Soon, Adrianna pressured him to marry her and issued an ultimatum; marry me or I’ll find someone who will.
The account of a contract kill in Canada was an exceptional tale of planning and execution that I found superb in its detail and composition. It was an outstanding segment and one that made a profound and lasting impression on the assassin.
Near the end, Clay was injured in a shootout that reeked of tension. It was one of the high points of the plot.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character development is in depth for all main characters.
Details are outstanding where needed but are not wasted on issues of little consequence.
Research is evident in location descriptions, and weapons are defined as to makes and models.
The plot is not the typical assassin story. Clayton’s family relations and friendships are explored in depth and add clarity to the story.
The writing style is fast paced with just enough breathing room for readers to catch their breath before the next action sequence.
The story contains strong cursing and violence and some sexual situations.
Reverse Metamorphosis actually reads like a soap opera because of the personal involvement with the families of the main characters. I enjoyed it and recommend it highly.
This story is violent; readers who reject detailed violence, rape and torture should skip this assassin series. The Assassin is a cold-blooded killer.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Book One of The Irrevocable Change Trilogy
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Thriller, Assassin
104,800 Words
Rating - 5 stars out of 5
No. 09 - 2022
Posted 3/5/2022
My impressions: frighteningly realistic, violent yet caring, driven, tenacious, and unrelenting.
Main Characters:
Clayton Albrecht – The Assassin
Tony Giliano – Clayton’s mentor and father of his best friend, Mafia boss of a territory in southwest Chicago.
Anna - Tony’s wife and wannabe bad woman Mafia boss.
Joey Tadono – Tony’s second in command of his illegal activities and chief enforcer.
Margaret - Clayton’s mother.
Lizzy – Clayton’s younger sister.
Adrianna Giliano – Tony and Anna’s only daughter.
Near the beginning of the plot, Clayton is involved in the accidental death of a drunk who attacked him. He then took up the vigilante murder of a man who killed his lifelong best friend. Months later he avenged another gang's attack on Tony that put Tony in the hospital. Under Clay’s tutelage fourteen of the attacking gang’s leaders were killed in a single attack.
Circumstances quickly arose that led to Clayton being blackballed from his union laborer job. When Tony mentioned another boss was looking for a hitman to take out a convicted pedophile, Clayton volunteered and began his career of killing for money. The conversations between Clay and Tony about Clay’s choice to be a professional assassin were realistic and brought out the close relationship they shared.
An unexpected aspect of Clay’s new career came through when he had to deal with a situation involving his younger sister, Lizzy. He hadn’t expected his murderous skills to be used in his personal life and was deeply troubled by it.
Clay discovered there were other family problems to deal with and again it involved Lizzy. I laughed out loud as the situation with Lizzy and Irish unfolded with Clay in the middle. I found the writing hilarious.
Eventually, after starting a business to cover his extended trips away on contract kills, Clay bought a home and moved away from the watchful eyes of Margaret.
Clay’s life became more complicated when he and Adrianna began a secret affair without telling Tony or Anna. Soon, Adrianna pressured him to marry her and issued an ultimatum; marry me or I’ll find someone who will.
The account of a contract kill in Canada was an exceptional tale of planning and execution that I found superb in its detail and composition. It was an outstanding segment and one that made a profound and lasting impression on the assassin.
Near the end, Clay was injured in a shootout that reeked of tension. It was one of the high points of the plot.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character development is in depth for all main characters.
Details are outstanding where needed but are not wasted on issues of little consequence.
Research is evident in location descriptions, and weapons are defined as to makes and models.
The plot is not the typical assassin story. Clayton’s family relations and friendships are explored in depth and add clarity to the story.
The writing style is fast paced with just enough breathing room for readers to catch their breath before the next action sequence.
The story contains strong cursing and violence and some sexual situations.
Reverse Metamorphosis actually reads like a soap opera because of the personal involvement with the families of the main characters. I enjoyed it and recommend it highly.
This story is violent; readers who reject detailed violence, rape and torture should skip this assassin series. The Assassin is a cold-blooded killer.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Blue Masquerade
Author – T.K. Blackwood
Genre – War/military
Word Count - 81,500
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 08 - 2022
Posted 2/26/2022
My Impressions: Excellent account of the horrors and unexpected mistakes of war.
Main Characters:
Andrei Gradenko – Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Jean Carson – Reporter for AP.
Pete Owen – Cameraman.
Jelic Lazer – Serbian Lieutenant, 20 y.o. Prisoner with future important role with unintended consequences.
??? Williams – Marine Corps Lt. in Yugoslavia who makes an innocent but horrible mistake.
Captain Yessov – Russian Commander of submarine B-218.
The story begins in 1992 much like today’s headlines with Russian troops massing to invade Yugoslavia instead of Ukraine.
An unfortunate mistake provides a reason for Russian forces to begin the invasion their rulers had already planned.
A news crew is in Yugoslavia, and they flow in and out of the action as bloody, high body count battles ensue. Their interview with a captured Serbian Lieutenant, Jelic Lazer, is short and they wonder if he will be murdered after they leave. He lives and escapes to appear again later in a key role in the twisted plot.
Heroic actions take place throughout the gruesome tale as soldiers give their lives to save others or make amends for past mistakes.
The US and its allies are hard-pressed to stop the invading Russian forces but do slow the advancing war machine even as horrific losses of human lives and equipment take place on both sides.
A fatal blow is given the allies when the Russian submarine B-218 inflicts a battle changing attack on several US Navy ships.
The ending is a cliff hanger, so another book is surely planned to follow.
The editing and sentence structure are okay but with frequent minor errors
Character Development is good for the main characters
Details and extensive research of US and Russian protocols and equipment are evident throughout.
The plot is typical war story but has major twists to keep readers involved and wanting to flip pages.
I highly recommend this superb story of world war.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – T.K. Blackwood
Genre – War/military
Word Count - 81,500
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 08 - 2022
Posted 2/26/2022
My Impressions: Excellent account of the horrors and unexpected mistakes of war.
Main Characters:
Andrei Gradenko – Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Jean Carson – Reporter for AP.
Pete Owen – Cameraman.
Jelic Lazer – Serbian Lieutenant, 20 y.o. Prisoner with future important role with unintended consequences.
??? Williams – Marine Corps Lt. in Yugoslavia who makes an innocent but horrible mistake.
Captain Yessov – Russian Commander of submarine B-218.
The story begins in 1992 much like today’s headlines with Russian troops massing to invade Yugoslavia instead of Ukraine.
An unfortunate mistake provides a reason for Russian forces to begin the invasion their rulers had already planned.
A news crew is in Yugoslavia, and they flow in and out of the action as bloody, high body count battles ensue. Their interview with a captured Serbian Lieutenant, Jelic Lazer, is short and they wonder if he will be murdered after they leave. He lives and escapes to appear again later in a key role in the twisted plot.
Heroic actions take place throughout the gruesome tale as soldiers give their lives to save others or make amends for past mistakes.
The US and its allies are hard-pressed to stop the invading Russian forces but do slow the advancing war machine even as horrific losses of human lives and equipment take place on both sides.
A fatal blow is given the allies when the Russian submarine B-218 inflicts a battle changing attack on several US Navy ships.
The ending is a cliff hanger, so another book is surely planned to follow.
The editing and sentence structure are okay but with frequent minor errors
Character Development is good for the main characters
Details and extensive research of US and Russian protocols and equipment are evident throughout.
The plot is typical war story but has major twists to keep readers involved and wanting to flip pages.
I highly recommend this superb story of world war.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Secret Resort of Nostalgia
Author – Sahlan Diver
Genre – Mystery Thriller
Word Count - 86,000
Rating – Five stars out of five.
No. 07 - 2022
Posted 2/18/2022
My Impressions: Very involved story of clever lies, gullible people, and love. Borders on fantasy.
Main Characters:
Mike Denning – age 22, electronic engineering and computer programming.
The Earl, - ultra wealthy and cunning.
Saoirse – age 26, personal assistant to the Earl.
Mike Denning is contacted by a friend from the past about filling in for him on a job he was doing until felled by a freak accident. The job is documenting details of a resort town on an island ninety miles off the far SW coast of Ireland. The only way to access the steeply bluffed island’s rocky, dangerous coast is by an underground railway that takes six hours to traverse.
The people dwelling on the island have been culled to only those who have no close living relatives. Suspicious huh? What dastardly, unspeakable deeds might be taking place out there?
Mike arrives at the Earl’s massive estate and sees the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on, At the interview, Mike is convinced the position is legitimate and he agrees to the short-term employment.
On the island, Mike checks into the hotel and then begins taking photos and interviewing people who live there. Everyone is happy, employed and has a high standard of living. Most people live in conventional housing, but some called the hill people live in homes cut deeply back into a steep hillside.
He and Saoirse begin to interact, and he fast falls in love with her. But some things he sees or suspects don’t add up, so he begins investigating. Then the truth of the ‘island’ unfolds.
The story was enjoyable, and I recommend it. There are some lightly detailed sexual situations.
The editing needs attention. Extra and missing commas are the main issues along with occasional other errors.
Sentence structures are mostly okay with several exceptions.
Character Development is excellent for major characters.
Details and research are fabricated, so no basis for judgement
The plot is very unusual but interesting and borders on fantasy.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Sahlan Diver
Genre – Mystery Thriller
Word Count - 86,000
Rating – Five stars out of five.
No. 07 - 2022
Posted 2/18/2022
My Impressions: Very involved story of clever lies, gullible people, and love. Borders on fantasy.
Main Characters:
Mike Denning – age 22, electronic engineering and computer programming.
The Earl, - ultra wealthy and cunning.
Saoirse – age 26, personal assistant to the Earl.
Mike Denning is contacted by a friend from the past about filling in for him on a job he was doing until felled by a freak accident. The job is documenting details of a resort town on an island ninety miles off the far SW coast of Ireland. The only way to access the steeply bluffed island’s rocky, dangerous coast is by an underground railway that takes six hours to traverse.
The people dwelling on the island have been culled to only those who have no close living relatives. Suspicious huh? What dastardly, unspeakable deeds might be taking place out there?
Mike arrives at the Earl’s massive estate and sees the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on, At the interview, Mike is convinced the position is legitimate and he agrees to the short-term employment.
On the island, Mike checks into the hotel and then begins taking photos and interviewing people who live there. Everyone is happy, employed and has a high standard of living. Most people live in conventional housing, but some called the hill people live in homes cut deeply back into a steep hillside.
He and Saoirse begin to interact, and he fast falls in love with her. But some things he sees or suspects don’t add up, so he begins investigating. Then the truth of the ‘island’ unfolds.
The story was enjoyable, and I recommend it. There are some lightly detailed sexual situations.
The editing needs attention. Extra and missing commas are the main issues along with occasional other errors.
Sentence structures are mostly okay with several exceptions.
Character Development is excellent for major characters.
Details and research are fabricated, so no basis for judgement
The plot is very unusual but interesting and borders on fantasy.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Identity Crisis
Author – T. K. Kanwar
Genre – Political Fiction
Word Count - 99,600
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 06 - 2022
Posted 2/12/2022
My Impressions: Excellent fictionalization of today’s leftist push achieving Marxism
Main Characters:
Sam Dhillon – middle aged Canadian, successful, India ancestry, conservative,
Daniel – Sam’s best friend, fired from his job for being white.
Jennifer Moore – Leaves Wisconsin for college in NY City, indoctrinated to the left until personal tragedy hits.
The story opens with an ex-Soviet agent telling how a nation is changed from capitalism to communism over time from within without a shot being fired.
Sam Dhillon’s parents immigrated from India; he often reflects on his childhood and how he and his mixed ethnic friends got along. No one really paid attention to what color or religion the others were. As he attained middle age, liberals were pushing their hatred of whites as white supremacy. He best friend Daniel, who was white, was fired from his job for not buying into the hatefulness of a new government program to redefine the social makeup of the workforce.
Daniel invited Sam to attend a talk given by a noted conservative fighting to reject the new government mandate.
Sam and the speaker hit it off and Sam began speaking out too; he stopped when he was threatened with termination from his job, which was controlled by far-left liberals.
Jennifer Moore hailed from Wisconsin and moved to New York City to attend college. She was quickly indoctrinated by far-left radical professors and joined the socialist groups on campus to achieve the bigoted goals of the far left. She participated in protest rallies and shouted down conservative speakers invited by right-wing groups. Upon graduation she was hired by a radical, left-wing organization to further their cause. But then Jennifer suffered a life changing event that caused her to rethink the political beliefs she’d been taught.
Identity Crisis is a compilation of events occurring throughout the world today told from a conservative point of view. I recommend it highly and hope it will seep into the thought process of both left and rightwing voters.
The editing and sentence structure need work to be professional. Unfortunately it drags the rating down.
Character Development is excellent for the two main characters.
Details and research are in depth and show an understanding of today’s political quagmire.
The plot is set within today’s struggle to remain capitalist vs. changes to socialism or Marxism
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – T. K. Kanwar
Genre – Political Fiction
Word Count - 99,600
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 06 - 2022
Posted 2/12/2022
My Impressions: Excellent fictionalization of today’s leftist push achieving Marxism
Main Characters:
Sam Dhillon – middle aged Canadian, successful, India ancestry, conservative,
Daniel – Sam’s best friend, fired from his job for being white.
Jennifer Moore – Leaves Wisconsin for college in NY City, indoctrinated to the left until personal tragedy hits.
The story opens with an ex-Soviet agent telling how a nation is changed from capitalism to communism over time from within without a shot being fired.
Sam Dhillon’s parents immigrated from India; he often reflects on his childhood and how he and his mixed ethnic friends got along. No one really paid attention to what color or religion the others were. As he attained middle age, liberals were pushing their hatred of whites as white supremacy. He best friend Daniel, who was white, was fired from his job for not buying into the hatefulness of a new government program to redefine the social makeup of the workforce.
Daniel invited Sam to attend a talk given by a noted conservative fighting to reject the new government mandate.
Sam and the speaker hit it off and Sam began speaking out too; he stopped when he was threatened with termination from his job, which was controlled by far-left liberals.
Jennifer Moore hailed from Wisconsin and moved to New York City to attend college. She was quickly indoctrinated by far-left radical professors and joined the socialist groups on campus to achieve the bigoted goals of the far left. She participated in protest rallies and shouted down conservative speakers invited by right-wing groups. Upon graduation she was hired by a radical, left-wing organization to further their cause. But then Jennifer suffered a life changing event that caused her to rethink the political beliefs she’d been taught.
Identity Crisis is a compilation of events occurring throughout the world today told from a conservative point of view. I recommend it highly and hope it will seep into the thought process of both left and rightwing voters.
The editing and sentence structure need work to be professional. Unfortunately it drags the rating down.
Character Development is excellent for the two main characters.
Details and research are in depth and show an understanding of today’s political quagmire.
The plot is set within today’s struggle to remain capitalist vs. changes to socialism or Marxism
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Machalniks
Author – Dick Berman
Genre – Action/Adventure, War
327 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 05 – 2022
Posted 2/5/2022
My Impressions: Gut wrenching heroics, bountiful action, conflict, betrayal, shameful American Govt. bureaucrats.
Main Characters:
Michael Kaplan – ex-Marine pilot WWII
Harold ‘Skippy’ Shapiro – ex-Marine pilot WWII
There are far too many other memorable characters to list.
Machalniks, the Hebrew word for Volunteers From Abroad. The story is written in first person.
The story is based on true characters, many of which are discussed at the end of the book.
After WWII a Jewish state was carved out of Palestine. Then the USA and UK apparently decided to stand by while five Arab nations surrounding the new home for Jews annihilated the 600,000 Jews already living in the new area named Israel
Several people were determined to not let that happen. Through donations and by hook or crook a growing number of WWII flying veterans from around the world volunteered to defend the new country and provide equipment, armament and ammunition.
In addition, the USA passed a law prohibiting US citizens from helping or providing material aid to the Jews. Anyone breaking the deplorable law was subject to be fined, imprisoned or lose their US citizenship.
The Machalniks is a story well worth reading. I enjoyed it tremendously.
The editing is not bad but there are a few word issues: misspelled, missing, and wrong words used. There are a lot of cases with mingling of past and present tense.
The writing style is simple and straight forward.
Cursing is abundant.
A few sexual scenes are written but they are not graphic.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Dick Berman
Genre – Action/Adventure, War
327 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 05 – 2022
Posted 2/5/2022
My Impressions: Gut wrenching heroics, bountiful action, conflict, betrayal, shameful American Govt. bureaucrats.
Main Characters:
Michael Kaplan – ex-Marine pilot WWII
Harold ‘Skippy’ Shapiro – ex-Marine pilot WWII
There are far too many other memorable characters to list.
Machalniks, the Hebrew word for Volunteers From Abroad. The story is written in first person.
The story is based on true characters, many of which are discussed at the end of the book.
After WWII a Jewish state was carved out of Palestine. Then the USA and UK apparently decided to stand by while five Arab nations surrounding the new home for Jews annihilated the 600,000 Jews already living in the new area named Israel
Several people were determined to not let that happen. Through donations and by hook or crook a growing number of WWII flying veterans from around the world volunteered to defend the new country and provide equipment, armament and ammunition.
In addition, the USA passed a law prohibiting US citizens from helping or providing material aid to the Jews. Anyone breaking the deplorable law was subject to be fined, imprisoned or lose their US citizenship.
The Machalniks is a story well worth reading. I enjoyed it tremendously.
The editing is not bad but there are a few word issues: misspelled, missing, and wrong words used. There are a lot of cases with mingling of past and present tense.
The writing style is simple and straight forward.
Cursing is abundant.
A few sexual scenes are written but they are not graphic.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Chaos of Change
Author – Jim Riggen
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Political
372 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 1/28/2022
No. 04 - 2022
My Impressions: betrayal, intrigue, politics, science fiction. Vague story line.
Main Characters:
Thaddeus Jackson – Mysterious character, son of ex-president.
Agent Lozen Kyway – Kick butt CIA special agent.
Shane Wallace – CIA Director, duplicitous character who plays both ends against the middle.
The Chaos of Change is the first book of a trilogy. It is not a stand alone read due to the cliff hanger at the end leading into book two. The story has no set time period except for references to Apache helicopters and Humvees. It was strange that opposing forces had limited equipment resources like two Apaches, Humvees and several armored personnel vehicles. No explanation was given as to why there were no jet planes, tanks etc.
The story is an extension of the political divide existing today between United States of America conservatives, independents, and liberals.
The fictional USA is divided into three sections with liberals controlling the northeastern states, conservatives ruling the southern states and, I suppose, independents taking the western states. The main thrust of the story is between the north and the south, (sound familiar?) But then there are splinter groups mingled in with the major parties that have to be dealt with (eradicated).
Few characters are who they profess to be.
The big battle near the end was unrealistic and the restricted weapons available raised many questions.
The science fiction aspects turned me off.
There is abundant sex and cursing.
The editing and sentence structure are good with minor exceptions.
Character development is good.
Details are vague.
Research is difficult to rate because most of it is fictional and extreme
The plot is okay but details are far too vague for my taste.
I'm torn between a 3 star and a 4 star rating, so I'll go with the four star rating without a strong recommendation.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Jim Riggen
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Political
372 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 1/28/2022
No. 04 - 2022
My Impressions: betrayal, intrigue, politics, science fiction. Vague story line.
Main Characters:
Thaddeus Jackson – Mysterious character, son of ex-president.
Agent Lozen Kyway – Kick butt CIA special agent.
Shane Wallace – CIA Director, duplicitous character who plays both ends against the middle.
The Chaos of Change is the first book of a trilogy. It is not a stand alone read due to the cliff hanger at the end leading into book two. The story has no set time period except for references to Apache helicopters and Humvees. It was strange that opposing forces had limited equipment resources like two Apaches, Humvees and several armored personnel vehicles. No explanation was given as to why there were no jet planes, tanks etc.
The story is an extension of the political divide existing today between United States of America conservatives, independents, and liberals.
The fictional USA is divided into three sections with liberals controlling the northeastern states, conservatives ruling the southern states and, I suppose, independents taking the western states. The main thrust of the story is between the north and the south, (sound familiar?) But then there are splinter groups mingled in with the major parties that have to be dealt with (eradicated).
Few characters are who they profess to be.
The big battle near the end was unrealistic and the restricted weapons available raised many questions.
The science fiction aspects turned me off.
There is abundant sex and cursing.
The editing and sentence structure are good with minor exceptions.
Character development is good.
Details are vague.
Research is difficult to rate because most of it is fictional and extreme
The plot is okay but details are far too vague for my taste.
I'm torn between a 3 star and a 4 star rating, so I'll go with the four star rating without a strong recommendation.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Where Labyrinths End
Author – Nick Pardon
Genre – Action Thriller
Word Count - 96,800
Rating – Four stars out of five
No. 03 - 2022
Posted 1/22/2022
My Impressions: deeply sensitive telling of the struggles of the Basque ETA Terrorist to gain independence.
Main Characters:
Symphony Messina – daughter of ‘Joey the Bear’ mob boss in New York, fiancé of Miguel Angel
Miguel Angel Estrada-Uribe – son of wealthy Spanish businessman.
Joey the Bear Messina – mob boss in New York
Zeus Aguirre – Cuban special ops, fixer, ex-CIA
Gunther Crimmil – Assassin, torturer
Tess Bernard – Lawyer, intermediary
Minor – Badly disfigured ETA terrorist
Miguel Angel and his fiancé are in Pamplona, Spain where he is to participate in the running of the bulls. Symphony watches him intently with binoculars from a balcony a distance away. She sees a scuffle and then Miguel Angel is out of sight. Fearing something has happened to him, she leaves the apartment and tries to follow him. Inside a deserted building she hears voices and calls to Miguel. She fights valiantly but to no avail. She and Miguel are captives held separately in earthen bunkers that are cold, damp, and dark
Miguel Angel’s father is notified, and a ransom payment is negotiated for his son’s release. No mention is made of Symphony and the terrorist claim no knowledge of her disappearance.
Then dead, badly mutilated ETA members begin turning up. Joey Messina’s boss over the New York crime families secretly sent Gunther Crimmil to work his way through the Basque ETA organization instilling fear and gathering information to locate Symphony. But are his tactics actually helping or hurting the hunt for her?
In the meantime, Tess Bernard has arrived in Miami to contact Zeus Aguirre and persuade him to use his influence with the ETA to secure Symphony’s release. He goes to Spain and contacts friends in the ETA. But shortly he is being hunted by Spanish authorities. The story plunges ahead to several surprises at the ending.
The story is fast paced and intense and I enjoyed it to the end.
The editing and sentence structure are good with several exceptions of missing words, incorrect words
Character development is good for important characters.
Details are abundant and research is evident.
The plot is involved and intense as the kidnappers argue over what to do with the unwanted female captive.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Nick Pardon
Genre – Action Thriller
Word Count - 96,800
Rating – Four stars out of five
No. 03 - 2022
Posted 1/22/2022
My Impressions: deeply sensitive telling of the struggles of the Basque ETA Terrorist to gain independence.
Main Characters:
Symphony Messina – daughter of ‘Joey the Bear’ mob boss in New York, fiancé of Miguel Angel
Miguel Angel Estrada-Uribe – son of wealthy Spanish businessman.
Joey the Bear Messina – mob boss in New York
Zeus Aguirre – Cuban special ops, fixer, ex-CIA
Gunther Crimmil – Assassin, torturer
Tess Bernard – Lawyer, intermediary
Minor – Badly disfigured ETA terrorist
Miguel Angel and his fiancé are in Pamplona, Spain where he is to participate in the running of the bulls. Symphony watches him intently with binoculars from a balcony a distance away. She sees a scuffle and then Miguel Angel is out of sight. Fearing something has happened to him, she leaves the apartment and tries to follow him. Inside a deserted building she hears voices and calls to Miguel. She fights valiantly but to no avail. She and Miguel are captives held separately in earthen bunkers that are cold, damp, and dark
Miguel Angel’s father is notified, and a ransom payment is negotiated for his son’s release. No mention is made of Symphony and the terrorist claim no knowledge of her disappearance.
Then dead, badly mutilated ETA members begin turning up. Joey Messina’s boss over the New York crime families secretly sent Gunther Crimmil to work his way through the Basque ETA organization instilling fear and gathering information to locate Symphony. But are his tactics actually helping or hurting the hunt for her?
In the meantime, Tess Bernard has arrived in Miami to contact Zeus Aguirre and persuade him to use his influence with the ETA to secure Symphony’s release. He goes to Spain and contacts friends in the ETA. But shortly he is being hunted by Spanish authorities. The story plunges ahead to several surprises at the ending.
The story is fast paced and intense and I enjoyed it to the end.
The editing and sentence structure are good with several exceptions of missing words, incorrect words
Character development is good for important characters.
Details are abundant and research is evident.
The plot is involved and intense as the kidnappers argue over what to do with the unwanted female captive.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Satan Gene
Author – Daniel Eamer
Genre – Thriller
Word Count – 104,000
Rating – Four stars out of Five
No. 02 - 2021
Posted 1/15/2021
My Impressions: Good writing and editing, but too much religious background.
Main Characters:
Gareth Blackwell – Ex-priest, banker, extremely knowledgeable of Catholic Church history.
Abriana Stratton – Research Assistant
Sicarius – Toragon L. Menaheim, assassin.
Bridger J. Morgon – Director of government agency DARPA.
The story has a violent, gruesome opening. A Chinese Ambassador dies in New York City with blood oozing from his pores all over his body. Then an American scientist, Dr. Palmer, is murdered in Bagnoregio, Italy.
The Satan Gene had been developed by an obscure government agency, DARPA. It is almost ready to be launched on the world, but the Chinese want it for world dominance, and a group of radical Italians called the Company intend to use the bioweapon to full-fill a 2,000-year-old plot to create a new world order and take over the world.
Sicarius confronts the lead scientist of the project to steal the Satan Gene. He tortures and kills the man but doesn’t get the information he is after. The scientist passed the information to his research assistant, Abricana Stratton with instructions to contact Gareth Blackwell for help in gathering a set of four flash drives with the information needed to activate the Satan Gene.
Bridger Morgon has analysts tracking the scientist and eventually catch Gareth and Abricana as they run.
Then the chase is on as Gareth, Abricana and Bridger and his crew go to Italy in search of the missing information. They are on a stealth mission and no one, his boss or the Italian government, knows they are there until they get in gun battles and destroy several local buildings and leave dead bodies behind.
The story is interesting, and I enjoyed it in spite of the long-winded filler.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are good.
The details are overly abundant, and in-depth research is apparent (except for the fact that Glock semiautomatics don’t have a safety switch).
The plot is interesting but interrupted by too many long stretches of historical Catholic Church background info that amounts to filler and only slows the main storyline. Before halfway, I stated skipping over that information.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Daniel Eamer
Genre – Thriller
Word Count – 104,000
Rating – Four stars out of Five
No. 02 - 2021
Posted 1/15/2021
My Impressions: Good writing and editing, but too much religious background.
Main Characters:
Gareth Blackwell – Ex-priest, banker, extremely knowledgeable of Catholic Church history.
Abriana Stratton – Research Assistant
Sicarius – Toragon L. Menaheim, assassin.
Bridger J. Morgon – Director of government agency DARPA.
The story has a violent, gruesome opening. A Chinese Ambassador dies in New York City with blood oozing from his pores all over his body. Then an American scientist, Dr. Palmer, is murdered in Bagnoregio, Italy.
The Satan Gene had been developed by an obscure government agency, DARPA. It is almost ready to be launched on the world, but the Chinese want it for world dominance, and a group of radical Italians called the Company intend to use the bioweapon to full-fill a 2,000-year-old plot to create a new world order and take over the world.
Sicarius confronts the lead scientist of the project to steal the Satan Gene. He tortures and kills the man but doesn’t get the information he is after. The scientist passed the information to his research assistant, Abricana Stratton with instructions to contact Gareth Blackwell for help in gathering a set of four flash drives with the information needed to activate the Satan Gene.
Bridger Morgon has analysts tracking the scientist and eventually catch Gareth and Abricana as they run.
Then the chase is on as Gareth, Abricana and Bridger and his crew go to Italy in search of the missing information. They are on a stealth mission and no one, his boss or the Italian government, knows they are there until they get in gun battles and destroy several local buildings and leave dead bodies behind.
The story is interesting, and I enjoyed it in spite of the long-winded filler.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are good.
The details are overly abundant, and in-depth research is apparent (except for the fact that Glock semiautomatics don’t have a safety switch).
The plot is interesting but interrupted by too many long stretches of historical Catholic Church background info that amounts to filler and only slows the main storyline. Before halfway, I stated skipping over that information.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Blaze Returns
Author – Bill Runner
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 81,350
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 01 - 2022
Posted 1/7/2022
My Impressions: Good action yarn if not taken too seriously.
Main Characters:
Axel Blaze – Ex- US Army special forces and ex-US Marshall. A kick butt action hero.
There are many support characters who are good, bad, or evil.
Axel Blaze was called upon by his ex-US Marshall boss Mark Flynn to investigate a missing Marshall named Carter who was looking for two criminals in the Marshalls Witness Protection Program who have disappeared. The initial scene set the tone of the rest of the story as Blaze calmly savaged two armed thugs who threatened to murder three people in a small bar after murdering one in cold blood. The action escalated when Axel arrived in the town where Carter disappeared, and the bodies soon stacked up like cordwood.
Little Butte is an uninhabited peak about a mile north of the Reno Highway. So research and details of the town are pure fiction.
The story is fast paced as Axel kick’s butt to learn if Carter is alive and where he might be held. He goes up against the Dawsons. A father and two sons have bought most of the dilapidated town and started building a new town next to it. Axel soon learns the Dawsons make methamphetamine and are involved with a Mexican drug cartel. The story is a no holds barred fun read if you accept it as tongue in cheek.
The editing is off by American standards but is written by a Brit and conforms to those rules and idiosyncrasies.
Sentence structure is mostly okay.
Character development is good enough for the mostly supporting characters and okay for Axel.
Details and research are sparse, but this is a fictional town.
The plot is fast paced and violet and held my interest throughout.
The writing style is fast and choppy, doesn’t waste words, and fits the flavor of the plot.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Bill Runner
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 81,350
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 01 - 2022
Posted 1/7/2022
My Impressions: Good action yarn if not taken too seriously.
Main Characters:
Axel Blaze – Ex- US Army special forces and ex-US Marshall. A kick butt action hero.
There are many support characters who are good, bad, or evil.
Axel Blaze was called upon by his ex-US Marshall boss Mark Flynn to investigate a missing Marshall named Carter who was looking for two criminals in the Marshalls Witness Protection Program who have disappeared. The initial scene set the tone of the rest of the story as Blaze calmly savaged two armed thugs who threatened to murder three people in a small bar after murdering one in cold blood. The action escalated when Axel arrived in the town where Carter disappeared, and the bodies soon stacked up like cordwood.
Little Butte is an uninhabited peak about a mile north of the Reno Highway. So research and details of the town are pure fiction.
The story is fast paced as Axel kick’s butt to learn if Carter is alive and where he might be held. He goes up against the Dawsons. A father and two sons have bought most of the dilapidated town and started building a new town next to it. Axel soon learns the Dawsons make methamphetamine and are involved with a Mexican drug cartel. The story is a no holds barred fun read if you accept it as tongue in cheek.
The editing is off by American standards but is written by a Brit and conforms to those rules and idiosyncrasies.
Sentence structure is mostly okay.
Character development is good enough for the mostly supporting characters and okay for Axel.
Details and research are sparse, but this is a fictional town.
The plot is fast paced and violet and held my interest throughout.
The writing style is fast and choppy, doesn’t waste words, and fits the flavor of the plot.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – African Paradise
Author – Stephen Breaker
Genre – Action Adventure
262 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 48 – 2021
Posted 12/31/2021
My Impressions: Lots of action, special forces main character, great support characters, violence
Main Characters:
Major Wm. Brody – retired former UK Special Boat Service, Marine Major.
Wanjiku ‘Maria’ Mwangi – Beautiful girl who befriends Brody in the slums of Mtwappa, Africa.
Hassan – a Muslim man, a friend of Brody’s and his boat helper.
Gumbao – A mysterious hand who takes on the title of Engineer and oversees the engine.
Barry – manager of a bar Brody hangs out at where they become friends and accomplices.
Brody is retired from the Special Boat Service and sails around Africa diving, fishing and drinking with his two friends. He sails his dhow named Shukran into Mtwappa, Africa, near the Indian Ocean. His first day ashore he meets a beautiful young woman, not a lady, in a local dive where he is attacked by two huge Russian sailors. Of course, he comes out of his inebriated state and kicks butt. That is just the beginning before he is attacked by a shark and then radical Islamist. He uncovers a plot to murder or capture for ransom a group of Israeli tourists.
Four of the central characters, minus Wanjiku, inject themselves into the resulting melee to save the innocent tourists.
African Paradise is a fun tongue in cheek read if not taken too seriously.
The editing is sloppy with a few missing, extra, misspelled, and wrong words. There are numerous issues with comma usage and some with sentence structure.
The writing style is fast paced and action oriented.
Character development is good. I either felt empathy for or seriously disliked each of them.
Descriptions of the local markets was excellent and painted clear pictures of the poverty and disgusting conditions.
I highly recommend African Paradise if the issues noted won’t impinge your reading pleasure.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Stephen Breaker
Genre – Action Adventure
262 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 48 – 2021
Posted 12/31/2021
My Impressions: Lots of action, special forces main character, great support characters, violence
Main Characters:
Major Wm. Brody – retired former UK Special Boat Service, Marine Major.
Wanjiku ‘Maria’ Mwangi – Beautiful girl who befriends Brody in the slums of Mtwappa, Africa.
Hassan – a Muslim man, a friend of Brody’s and his boat helper.
Gumbao – A mysterious hand who takes on the title of Engineer and oversees the engine.
Barry – manager of a bar Brody hangs out at where they become friends and accomplices.
Brody is retired from the Special Boat Service and sails around Africa diving, fishing and drinking with his two friends. He sails his dhow named Shukran into Mtwappa, Africa, near the Indian Ocean. His first day ashore he meets a beautiful young woman, not a lady, in a local dive where he is attacked by two huge Russian sailors. Of course, he comes out of his inebriated state and kicks butt. That is just the beginning before he is attacked by a shark and then radical Islamist. He uncovers a plot to murder or capture for ransom a group of Israeli tourists.
Four of the central characters, minus Wanjiku, inject themselves into the resulting melee to save the innocent tourists.
African Paradise is a fun tongue in cheek read if not taken too seriously.
The editing is sloppy with a few missing, extra, misspelled, and wrong words. There are numerous issues with comma usage and some with sentence structure.
The writing style is fast paced and action oriented.
Character development is good. I either felt empathy for or seriously disliked each of them.
Descriptions of the local markets was excellent and painted clear pictures of the poverty and disgusting conditions.
I highly recommend African Paradise if the issues noted won’t impinge your reading pleasure.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Revelation and Retribution
Author – A. Pittman
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
262 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 47 – 2021
Posted 12/25/2021
My impressions: gritty, gory, gruesome, ghastly, gloomy, graphic, grotesque, grisly, sadistic, malfeasance.
Main Characters:
Detective Pat McConnell – laid back, unflappable, hard ass.
Detective Lou Maguire – Pat's sidekick and counterbalance.
Ted Allen – devious and mysterious power broker.
Rosie Williams – reporter who falls under Ted's spell.
Widow Drake – Assassin and more, an accomplished killer with an attitude.
Father Walter Brown – Catholic Priest.
Arch Angel – serial killer, Dylan Jocoby, son of a powerful politician.
Revelation and Retribution is a roller coaster ride with more turns than a slinky toy. When fifteen bodies turn up in a single day the Mayor and Police Chief realize they have a mass murderer in town. It then falls to Detectives Pat McConnell and his partner Lou Maguire to chase down the diabolical killer dubbed the Arch Angel. The setting is St. Louis, Missouri so the Arch title is appropriate. But there's a catch, the killer only kills scumbags so the city fathers fear copy cat killers will emulate the killer and try to assist him in cleaning up the town. (It actually needs such a thing. Its homicide rate approaches that of the infamous Chicago.)
Then Catholic Priest Walter Brown listens to the killer during confession and recognizes the voice. But Father Brown is confronted with a conundrum. His religious vows forbid his ratting out information gained through confession. Instead the priest gets drunk and goes home with a sexy bartender.
While the priest is finding his moral compass, Pat manages to team up with accomplished assassin Widow Drake. Widow saves the inept officer's life several times and then they team up to go after Ted Allen for setting them up to be victims.
There are dozens of hired mercenaries after The Cop and the Killer, but they manage to outwit and outshoot them all.
There are hard core cursing scenes.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Details are adequate but character development is poor. I wanted to know more about the characters and what inspired them and made them who they were.
Details are sparse but okay, research is lacking as there is not a hammer to pull back on a Glock. When the villain was shot, I read it three times and still couldn't picture the action sequence.
The writing style is tight and descriptive for the most part.
Several cliff hangers were left at the end, so I'll bet a sequel will soon follow.
It's a good, not great, tongue in cheek thriller and I enjoyed it as such.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – A. Pittman
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
262 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 47 – 2021
Posted 12/25/2021
My impressions: gritty, gory, gruesome, ghastly, gloomy, graphic, grotesque, grisly, sadistic, malfeasance.
Main Characters:
Detective Pat McConnell – laid back, unflappable, hard ass.
Detective Lou Maguire – Pat's sidekick and counterbalance.
Ted Allen – devious and mysterious power broker.
Rosie Williams – reporter who falls under Ted's spell.
Widow Drake – Assassin and more, an accomplished killer with an attitude.
Father Walter Brown – Catholic Priest.
Arch Angel – serial killer, Dylan Jocoby, son of a powerful politician.
Revelation and Retribution is a roller coaster ride with more turns than a slinky toy. When fifteen bodies turn up in a single day the Mayor and Police Chief realize they have a mass murderer in town. It then falls to Detectives Pat McConnell and his partner Lou Maguire to chase down the diabolical killer dubbed the Arch Angel. The setting is St. Louis, Missouri so the Arch title is appropriate. But there's a catch, the killer only kills scumbags so the city fathers fear copy cat killers will emulate the killer and try to assist him in cleaning up the town. (It actually needs such a thing. Its homicide rate approaches that of the infamous Chicago.)
Then Catholic Priest Walter Brown listens to the killer during confession and recognizes the voice. But Father Brown is confronted with a conundrum. His religious vows forbid his ratting out information gained through confession. Instead the priest gets drunk and goes home with a sexy bartender.
While the priest is finding his moral compass, Pat manages to team up with accomplished assassin Widow Drake. Widow saves the inept officer's life several times and then they team up to go after Ted Allen for setting them up to be victims.
There are dozens of hired mercenaries after The Cop and the Killer, but they manage to outwit and outshoot them all.
There are hard core cursing scenes.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Details are adequate but character development is poor. I wanted to know more about the characters and what inspired them and made them who they were.
Details are sparse but okay, research is lacking as there is not a hammer to pull back on a Glock. When the villain was shot, I read it three times and still couldn't picture the action sequence.
The writing style is tight and descriptive for the most part.
Several cliff hangers were left at the end, so I'll bet a sequel will soon follow.
It's a good, not great, tongue in cheek thriller and I enjoyed it as such.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Attorney’s Alibi
Author – Daralyse Lyons
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
266 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 46 – 2021
Posted 12/18/2021
My Impressions: slimy, despicable, cheater, liar, repentant, comeuppance, true justice
Main Characters:
Jake Livingstone – Defense Lawyer, crook, cheater, everything sleazy you can think of.
Cheryl – Jake’s long suffering wife who adores him. Maybe.
Amber – Jake’s girlfriend for sex who wants to share her life with him.
Monique – Jake’s girlfriend for sex only.
Attorney’s Alibi is a delightful story if you can get past the first sixty percent where Jake is defined as a total scumbag. For two years he has lied to his wife while chasing multiple other women strictly for sex. He is a drunk, a gambler, a liar and will provide alibis to guilty clients to win his cases. He has no conscience and no remorse for the emotional damage his actions cause. One girlfriend is satisfied to have him stop by for frequent sex while the other cajoles him to leave his wife and stay with her.
Eventually events occur causing Jake to see himself for the despicable person he has become. He sets out to seek redemption by correcting his past personal failures.
Before he is redeemed fate throws in a surprising twist that makes the entire story worthwhile and enjoyable.
Goodness does win out. Well sort of.
The editing and sentence structure are exemplary, with the exception of several slang words that are not found in standard dictionaries.
Cursing and sexual talk are abundant, but the sex acts are not graphic.
The plot is fresh and deals with rehabilitation and retribution in an offbeat manner.
I enjoyed this story and recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Daralyse Lyons
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
266 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 46 – 2021
Posted 12/18/2021
My Impressions: slimy, despicable, cheater, liar, repentant, comeuppance, true justice
Main Characters:
Jake Livingstone – Defense Lawyer, crook, cheater, everything sleazy you can think of.
Cheryl – Jake’s long suffering wife who adores him. Maybe.
Amber – Jake’s girlfriend for sex who wants to share her life with him.
Monique – Jake’s girlfriend for sex only.
Attorney’s Alibi is a delightful story if you can get past the first sixty percent where Jake is defined as a total scumbag. For two years he has lied to his wife while chasing multiple other women strictly for sex. He is a drunk, a gambler, a liar and will provide alibis to guilty clients to win his cases. He has no conscience and no remorse for the emotional damage his actions cause. One girlfriend is satisfied to have him stop by for frequent sex while the other cajoles him to leave his wife and stay with her.
Eventually events occur causing Jake to see himself for the despicable person he has become. He sets out to seek redemption by correcting his past personal failures.
Before he is redeemed fate throws in a surprising twist that makes the entire story worthwhile and enjoyable.
Goodness does win out. Well sort of.
The editing and sentence structure are exemplary, with the exception of several slang words that are not found in standard dictionaries.
Cursing and sexual talk are abundant, but the sex acts are not graphic.
The plot is fresh and deals with rehabilitation and retribution in an offbeat manner.
I enjoyed this story and recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Androcide
Author – Erec Stubbins
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
333 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 12/5/2021
No. 42 - 2021
Androcide: the systematic killing of men, boys, or males in general.
My Impressions: brutal, well written, psychopath, intriguing characters, personal political viewpoint injected.
Main Characters:
Sara Houston – Top of FBI wanted list, framed for murder of Vice President and terrorist activities, Intel 1.
Francisco Lopez – Defrocked priest, deadly member of Intel 1
Nader Zaringhalam – Double agent, hacker, member of Intel 1
Elaine York – President of the United States of America
Det. Tyrell Sacker – New York Police, alcoholic, wears a goofy Ice Topper Hat, suited for formal wear with a Tux.
P.I. Grace Gone – Handicapped, brilliant, Asian heritage. Also Biological research expert.
Androcide is an action-packed thriller. It starts as two separate stories that begin to converge about halfway through the book. The three main characters listed first are members of Intel 1, a covert action group reporting directly to Elaine York, POTUS. They have saved the country from a mysterious group name Bilderberg. There are vague references to the second civil war and an atomic bomb exploded in Kansas. A terrorist named Nemesis is the last agent of Bilderberg and Intel 1 chases her to prevent her from reorganizing.
Det. Tyrell Sacker is assigned the case of dead, nude men whose genitals have been removed before they were staged about the city. P.I. Grace Gone wrangles her way into Sacker’s investigation against the direct orders of Sacker’s superiors.
All of the characters are larger than life and all have deep personal secrets that affect their emotions and performance. Only vague hints of these secrets are given, but from that I judged them to be extreme.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character Development is in depth for the main characters
Details are often sketchy or steeped in medical and research terms most readers will have little knowledge of.
The plot was excellent until the author injected his personal political view point and relied on exaggerations and outright lies to vent his opinion.
The author’s writing style is fast paced and full of medical and research jargon.
I was engrossed in the story until caricatures of current US politicians were injected and distorted by exaggeration and outright lies to fit the author’s partisan view.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Erec Stubbins
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
333 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 12/5/2021
No. 42 - 2021
Androcide: the systematic killing of men, boys, or males in general.
My Impressions: brutal, well written, psychopath, intriguing characters, personal political viewpoint injected.
Main Characters:
Sara Houston – Top of FBI wanted list, framed for murder of Vice President and terrorist activities, Intel 1.
Francisco Lopez – Defrocked priest, deadly member of Intel 1
Nader Zaringhalam – Double agent, hacker, member of Intel 1
Elaine York – President of the United States of America
Det. Tyrell Sacker – New York Police, alcoholic, wears a goofy Ice Topper Hat, suited for formal wear with a Tux.
P.I. Grace Gone – Handicapped, brilliant, Asian heritage. Also Biological research expert.
Androcide is an action-packed thriller. It starts as two separate stories that begin to converge about halfway through the book. The three main characters listed first are members of Intel 1, a covert action group reporting directly to Elaine York, POTUS. They have saved the country from a mysterious group name Bilderberg. There are vague references to the second civil war and an atomic bomb exploded in Kansas. A terrorist named Nemesis is the last agent of Bilderberg and Intel 1 chases her to prevent her from reorganizing.
Det. Tyrell Sacker is assigned the case of dead, nude men whose genitals have been removed before they were staged about the city. P.I. Grace Gone wrangles her way into Sacker’s investigation against the direct orders of Sacker’s superiors.
All of the characters are larger than life and all have deep personal secrets that affect their emotions and performance. Only vague hints of these secrets are given, but from that I judged them to be extreme.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character Development is in depth for the main characters
Details are often sketchy or steeped in medical and research terms most readers will have little knowledge of.
The plot was excellent until the author injected his personal political view point and relied on exaggerations and outright lies to vent his opinion.
The author’s writing style is fast paced and full of medical and research jargon.
I was engrossed in the story until caricatures of current US politicians were injected and distorted by exaggeration and outright lies to fit the author’s partisan view.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
