Title: Young Blood
Author: Brett Wallach
Genre - Mystery
128 pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 37 - 2019
Posted: 11/16/2019
This story has so many issues I've had a serious problem rating it. On one hand, the writing and editing are good, but then there's the plot itself. The first half of the book centers on forty-five-year-old Phil Allman trying to rationalize to himself, and to the reader, that chasing after a fifteen-year-old girl doesn't make him a pedophile. Due to my staunch Judeo-Christian upbringing, he lost that argument from the get-go. Phil is an ex-cop and presently has a Private Investigator's license. He works primarily at chasing down cheating spouses.
Since his divorce, Phil's search for a mate has been abysmal. All of his partners, in his eyes, have turned out to be overweight, ugly and stupid. Of course, Phil feels he deserves much better than the rejects he's trolled for on dating sites.
His infatuation for the high school student, Marci, quickly turns to love, and they're soon married with the blessing of her mother. (Mom probably places Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry on pedestals.)
Halfway through the story we finally get to the Mystery portion. As the story progressed, I felt Phil's reactions to the unfolding situation painted him as a weak-kneed wimp, afraid to confront his child bride. He vacillated between 'gonna kill the bastard' to doing nothing.
The young girl refused to discuss any details of the sordid plot she's involved in and our loony protagonist accepted her behavior in the name of unrequited love. Finally, he used his investigative skills to check up on her and learned the identity of the person manipulating his wife.
When the story shifted to oral sex incest by intimidation, Phil finally shifted gears to vigilantism and partially redeemed himself in my eyes.
The subject matter of Young Blood is disturbing, and therein lies the problem. Phil's loving relationship with his Lolita like wife doesn't compare in vileness to a plot involving the abduction, rape, torture and brutal murder of youngsters by a pedophile serial killer. Toward the end, incest was also thrown in on top of Phil's own questionable behavior.
I don't recommend this story for readers easily offended by gutter language, sexual perversion and justifiable murder. But I won't trash it either; there is nothing mechanically wrong with it, and the two lovers eventually rode off into the sunset in their May-September relationship. That's the reason it get's a 4 star rating. My final words are, buyer beware. This is definitely not a story for everyone.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Brett Wallach
Genre - Mystery
128 pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 37 - 2019
Posted: 11/16/2019
This story has so many issues I've had a serious problem rating it. On one hand, the writing and editing are good, but then there's the plot itself. The first half of the book centers on forty-five-year-old Phil Allman trying to rationalize to himself, and to the reader, that chasing after a fifteen-year-old girl doesn't make him a pedophile. Due to my staunch Judeo-Christian upbringing, he lost that argument from the get-go. Phil is an ex-cop and presently has a Private Investigator's license. He works primarily at chasing down cheating spouses.
Since his divorce, Phil's search for a mate has been abysmal. All of his partners, in his eyes, have turned out to be overweight, ugly and stupid. Of course, Phil feels he deserves much better than the rejects he's trolled for on dating sites.
His infatuation for the high school student, Marci, quickly turns to love, and they're soon married with the blessing of her mother. (Mom probably places Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry on pedestals.)
Halfway through the story we finally get to the Mystery portion. As the story progressed, I felt Phil's reactions to the unfolding situation painted him as a weak-kneed wimp, afraid to confront his child bride. He vacillated between 'gonna kill the bastard' to doing nothing.
The young girl refused to discuss any details of the sordid plot she's involved in and our loony protagonist accepted her behavior in the name of unrequited love. Finally, he used his investigative skills to check up on her and learned the identity of the person manipulating his wife.
When the story shifted to oral sex incest by intimidation, Phil finally shifted gears to vigilantism and partially redeemed himself in my eyes.
The subject matter of Young Blood is disturbing, and therein lies the problem. Phil's loving relationship with his Lolita like wife doesn't compare in vileness to a plot involving the abduction, rape, torture and brutal murder of youngsters by a pedophile serial killer. Toward the end, incest was also thrown in on top of Phil's own questionable behavior.
I don't recommend this story for readers easily offended by gutter language, sexual perversion and justifiable murder. But I won't trash it either; there is nothing mechanically wrong with it, and the two lovers eventually rode off into the sunset in their May-September relationship. That's the reason it get's a 4 star rating. My final words are, buyer beware. This is definitely not a story for everyone.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: Mapping the Glades
Author: David Burton
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
81,520 Words and 290 pages
Rating - 4 stars out of 5
No. 36 – 2019
Posted: 11/13/2019
Harrison Park is the main character in Mapping the Glades. The story is set in Florida where he lives in self-imposed isolation. Harrison is an ex-undercover DEA agent turned crime writer. Throughout the story we learn of the guilt, hate and shame he has fought after leaving the DEA and since the death of his wife.
Pauly Allister is Harrison's stepson who returned home after living several years in California.
Tracy Manning is Pauly's lovely stripper, prostitute girlfriend who lives wild and crosses the wrong man.
Raul Geoshay is the wrong man to cross; he's pure evil and the perfect antagonist in the plot.
What I liked in this story is the interesting storyline that moved almost non-stop. The action was intense and the winning side switched back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball in a tournament.
The characters are developed so the reader knows exactly who and what they are. It's done over time of course, because it's not all presented in an info dump.
Undercurrents of past loves and deeds linger in the background as a multitude of characters attempt to position themselves for the love or revenge they crave.
The story is well written with infrequent editing errors
What I didn't like about Mapping the Glades is the way several scenes ran together without separation.
There were also several outright errors in the writing. At one point a woman is handcuffed with her arms behind her and around a large post, and then she wipes her hair out of her face.
At the scene of an accident on a bridge a man slides off the elevated deck, into the water with a black book in his hands. Nothing was mentioned of it being ruined by the water or how Pauly and Tracy took possession of it.
The name Spencer was substituted several times for the character Simone, simply a poor editing oversight.
Readers who are offended by depictions of frequent sexual situations, extreme violence, rape, incest, torture and cursing should take note that it occurs often here.
Overall, I enjoyed Mapping the Glades and recommend it for hardcore crime and mystery fans.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: David Burton
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
81,520 Words and 290 pages
Rating - 4 stars out of 5
No. 36 – 2019
Posted: 11/13/2019
Harrison Park is the main character in Mapping the Glades. The story is set in Florida where he lives in self-imposed isolation. Harrison is an ex-undercover DEA agent turned crime writer. Throughout the story we learn of the guilt, hate and shame he has fought after leaving the DEA and since the death of his wife.
Pauly Allister is Harrison's stepson who returned home after living several years in California.
Tracy Manning is Pauly's lovely stripper, prostitute girlfriend who lives wild and crosses the wrong man.
Raul Geoshay is the wrong man to cross; he's pure evil and the perfect antagonist in the plot.
What I liked in this story is the interesting storyline that moved almost non-stop. The action was intense and the winning side switched back and forth like a Ping-Pong ball in a tournament.
The characters are developed so the reader knows exactly who and what they are. It's done over time of course, because it's not all presented in an info dump.
Undercurrents of past loves and deeds linger in the background as a multitude of characters attempt to position themselves for the love or revenge they crave.
The story is well written with infrequent editing errors
What I didn't like about Mapping the Glades is the way several scenes ran together without separation.
There were also several outright errors in the writing. At one point a woman is handcuffed with her arms behind her and around a large post, and then she wipes her hair out of her face.
At the scene of an accident on a bridge a man slides off the elevated deck, into the water with a black book in his hands. Nothing was mentioned of it being ruined by the water or how Pauly and Tracy took possession of it.
The name Spencer was substituted several times for the character Simone, simply a poor editing oversight.
Readers who are offended by depictions of frequent sexual situations, extreme violence, rape, incest, torture and cursing should take note that it occurs often here.
Overall, I enjoyed Mapping the Glades and recommend it for hardcore crime and mystery fans.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: Killing the Man
Author: Kenneth B. Humphrey
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
95,330 Words and 556 pages
Rating 4 stars our of 5
No. 35 – 2019
Posted: 11/2/2019
I can only assume the book's title is meant to be a double entente. Killing the Man is the name of a conspiracy in the plot, but could also refer to Rick Killing, the Man. And who and what Rick Killing is captures the entire story.
Rick Johann Killing, Loss Prevention Mgr. at a major big box store – 24 Y.O. He's an ex-sports star who ran away from a career as a professional football player because of his fear of fame and failure.
Maya, Rick's wife is stubborn and acts like a vindictive child at home or in public. In living with Rick it's easy to understand why she does.
I didn't care about either character. Rick is an obnoxious smart aleck whom I felt no compassion for.
At 70% the entire story was about Rick and his attitudes and personal issues. His antagonistic character was that of a fifteen year old. The main theme of the story is more of a coming of age tale about a man whose personal issues have screwed up his entire life.
Rick stumbles upon a racial conspiracy no one else can see or wants to believe. The discovery of a racial/crime plot in his hometown brings out a higher level of pride and motivation.
From there the plot gradually swings from Rick's problems to an unbelievable plot to change the foundations of the USA. Fortunately, through his acts to protect his friends and loved ones, he finds redemption at the end.
The writing is well done, sentence structure is good, and the editing is far above average. There was a problem adjusting to the author's style. Dialog would be given, and then Rick's internal thoughts would follow without being flagged with italics. After a few pages I accepted it.
Character development for the main characters was good.
On the downside, some of the action scenes were a bit contrived. The biggest example being that the police would never have condoned or been involved in the takedown portrayed at the end.
The beginning chapters of the book paint Rick as a imperfect, smart mouthed ass, and makes it hard to take him seriously or have compassion for him. It was hard for me to stay with the story because I disliked the character. However, by the end Rick found a purpose and broke out of the shell he had built around himself.
I can't recommend Killing the Man highly, but it turned out to be a good read.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Kenneth B. Humphrey
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
95,330 Words and 556 pages
Rating 4 stars our of 5
No. 35 – 2019
Posted: 11/2/2019
I can only assume the book's title is meant to be a double entente. Killing the Man is the name of a conspiracy in the plot, but could also refer to Rick Killing, the Man. And who and what Rick Killing is captures the entire story.
Rick Johann Killing, Loss Prevention Mgr. at a major big box store – 24 Y.O. He's an ex-sports star who ran away from a career as a professional football player because of his fear of fame and failure.
Maya, Rick's wife is stubborn and acts like a vindictive child at home or in public. In living with Rick it's easy to understand why she does.
I didn't care about either character. Rick is an obnoxious smart aleck whom I felt no compassion for.
At 70% the entire story was about Rick and his attitudes and personal issues. His antagonistic character was that of a fifteen year old. The main theme of the story is more of a coming of age tale about a man whose personal issues have screwed up his entire life.
Rick stumbles upon a racial conspiracy no one else can see or wants to believe. The discovery of a racial/crime plot in his hometown brings out a higher level of pride and motivation.
From there the plot gradually swings from Rick's problems to an unbelievable plot to change the foundations of the USA. Fortunately, through his acts to protect his friends and loved ones, he finds redemption at the end.
The writing is well done, sentence structure is good, and the editing is far above average. There was a problem adjusting to the author's style. Dialog would be given, and then Rick's internal thoughts would follow without being flagged with italics. After a few pages I accepted it.
Character development for the main characters was good.
On the downside, some of the action scenes were a bit contrived. The biggest example being that the police would never have condoned or been involved in the takedown portrayed at the end.
The beginning chapters of the book paint Rick as a imperfect, smart mouthed ass, and makes it hard to take him seriously or have compassion for him. It was hard for me to stay with the story because I disliked the character. However, by the end Rick found a purpose and broke out of the shell he had built around himself.
I can't recommend Killing the Man highly, but it turned out to be a good read.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Sky Fall Conspiracy
Author – Joseph Bendoski
Genre – Thriller, Espionage, historical psychological.
Word Count 80,700
Rating Five stars out of five
No. 21 - 2019
Posted 10/26/2019
My Impressions: brutal, lies & manipulation, mind bending propaganda, world domination.
Main Characters:
Wm. Stephenson – Scientist, British Spy Master
Silas Cooper – Intelligent, highly motivated union busting thug.
Alan Wallace – Scientist in propaganda.
Brahms – German military officer in charge of propaganda.
Vera Atkins – French saboteur.
Hadley Cantril – Scientist hired to find the secret behind the War of the Worlds radio scare.
In 1938 on the Mercury Theater on the Air, Orson Wells broadcast an adaptation of H.G. Wells fictional novel, War of the Worlds. The radio program caused pandemonium across the U.S as listeners believed the Earth was being attacked by aliens. The impact was so big it served as the basis for this story The Sky Fall Conspi8racy.
Germany was perfecting mind changing propaganda throughout the county to bend the people’s minds to mistrust and hate all Jews. Large radio speakers were placed throughout German playing Nazi propaganda for several years. Two Canadians, Wm. Stephenson and Alan Wallace, have studied the extent and success of the Nazi plan to make Germans hate their Jewish neighbors.
Gradually readers are introduced to the antagonists. Silas Cooper is a violent, murdering union breaker who strives for absolution of his despicable sins through forgiveness by God through the Catholic Church. He doesn’t stop his evil ways; he just wants forgiveness.
The next evil doer is Brahms. He’s the second man in charge of the Nazi propaganda machine. Both men want the secret of how millions of people were so deeply influenced in the space of a one hour radio broadcast. Both see it as the ultimate weapon to adjust people’s minds and bring them under the control of either a group of greedy industrialists or the Nazis seeking world domination.
Hadley Contril is hired by the U.S. government to head a team to discover the secrets of the War of the Worlds broadcast and learn how the pandemonium was triggered.
Stephenson, Wallace and Atkins are determined to prevent both antagonist from reaching their goal. The actions of all parties are extremely involved and complex.
Details of propaganda techniques are given ahead of each chapter. Those are extremely interesting and frightening. Those same techniques are used today in advertising and sales.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Details are a bit thin, but adequate if readers pay attention.
Character development is adequate to good for the lead characters.
The action scenes are a bit unreal but the intricacies of the rest of the story overshadow them.
The plot is fresh and intriguing.
I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Joseph Bendoski
Genre – Thriller, Espionage, historical psychological.
Word Count 80,700
Rating Five stars out of five
No. 21 - 2019
Posted 10/26/2019
My Impressions: brutal, lies & manipulation, mind bending propaganda, world domination.
Main Characters:
Wm. Stephenson – Scientist, British Spy Master
Silas Cooper – Intelligent, highly motivated union busting thug.
Alan Wallace – Scientist in propaganda.
Brahms – German military officer in charge of propaganda.
Vera Atkins – French saboteur.
Hadley Cantril – Scientist hired to find the secret behind the War of the Worlds radio scare.
In 1938 on the Mercury Theater on the Air, Orson Wells broadcast an adaptation of H.G. Wells fictional novel, War of the Worlds. The radio program caused pandemonium across the U.S as listeners believed the Earth was being attacked by aliens. The impact was so big it served as the basis for this story The Sky Fall Conspi8racy.
Germany was perfecting mind changing propaganda throughout the county to bend the people’s minds to mistrust and hate all Jews. Large radio speakers were placed throughout German playing Nazi propaganda for several years. Two Canadians, Wm. Stephenson and Alan Wallace, have studied the extent and success of the Nazi plan to make Germans hate their Jewish neighbors.
Gradually readers are introduced to the antagonists. Silas Cooper is a violent, murdering union breaker who strives for absolution of his despicable sins through forgiveness by God through the Catholic Church. He doesn’t stop his evil ways; he just wants forgiveness.
The next evil doer is Brahms. He’s the second man in charge of the Nazi propaganda machine. Both men want the secret of how millions of people were so deeply influenced in the space of a one hour radio broadcast. Both see it as the ultimate weapon to adjust people’s minds and bring them under the control of either a group of greedy industrialists or the Nazis seeking world domination.
Hadley Contril is hired by the U.S. government to head a team to discover the secrets of the War of the Worlds broadcast and learn how the pandemonium was triggered.
Stephenson, Wallace and Atkins are determined to prevent both antagonist from reaching their goal. The actions of all parties are extremely involved and complex.
Details of propaganda techniques are given ahead of each chapter. Those are extremely interesting and frightening. Those same techniques are used today in advertising and sales.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Details are a bit thin, but adequate if readers pay attention.
Character development is adequate to good for the lead characters.
The action scenes are a bit unreal but the intricacies of the rest of the story overshadow them.
The plot is fresh and intriguing.
I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Past The Line
Author – E. T. Milligan
Genre – Police Detective
Word Count 66,500
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 34 - 2019
Posted 10/18/2019
My Impressions: A strong story of corruption and its consequences.
Main Characters:
Blake Cutter – Miami homicide detective.
Phil Drummond – Bullet, Georgia, real estate developer.
Dorothy Drummond – Phil’s wife.
Penelope Lane – Phil’s girlfriend
Olivess Norton – A mulatto waitress who learns of Phil’s slave owner ancestor’s barbaric actions.
Past The Line opens with Miami Policeman of the Year Blake Cutter leaving an awards ceremony with his wife Jeannie. She goes to their car while he lingers inside the hotel. Minutes later his car explodes, and Jeannie is killed. Blake knows the bomb was intended to kill him for his successful investigations of organized crime in the area. He suspects criminal boss Bennie DeSalvo is behind his wife’s death.
Move forward one year to Bullet, Georgia. Blake Cutter is now a federal agent with the SBI investigating criminal activity in that area. His is assigned to investigate the murder of Phillip Drummond, a local real estate developer.
Phil was murdered late at night on a beach while waiting to meet with Bennie DeSalvo. While waiting, he became nauseous and wondered if the mulatto waitress who served him a drink might have put something besides alcohol in it.
Weeks prior to Phil’s death he visited his casual girlfriend Penelope Lane She’s an easy lay but is tired of being taken for granted. She decides to inform Dorothy Drummond of the affair and the shenanigans her husband Phil is pulling.
When Dorothy learns Phil has forged her signature on land transfer papers, she is livid and determined to stop him at any cost.
Then we have Olivess Norton, a young African American woman who hates Phil for the lack of respect he shows her and other people of color. When she learns of his ancestor’s barbaric actions to her slave ancestors she is determined to get even with the racist pig.
Three people have serious grudges against Phil Drummond. But did one of them hate him enough to kill him? That’s the question Blake strives to answer while fighting his own personal demons.
The editing and sentence structure are very good.
Character Development is thorough and in-depth.
Details are plentiful and the plot is complex and entertaining.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – E. T. Milligan
Genre – Police Detective
Word Count 66,500
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 34 - 2019
Posted 10/18/2019
My Impressions: A strong story of corruption and its consequences.
Main Characters:
Blake Cutter – Miami homicide detective.
Phil Drummond – Bullet, Georgia, real estate developer.
Dorothy Drummond – Phil’s wife.
Penelope Lane – Phil’s girlfriend
Olivess Norton – A mulatto waitress who learns of Phil’s slave owner ancestor’s barbaric actions.
Past The Line opens with Miami Policeman of the Year Blake Cutter leaving an awards ceremony with his wife Jeannie. She goes to their car while he lingers inside the hotel. Minutes later his car explodes, and Jeannie is killed. Blake knows the bomb was intended to kill him for his successful investigations of organized crime in the area. He suspects criminal boss Bennie DeSalvo is behind his wife’s death.
Move forward one year to Bullet, Georgia. Blake Cutter is now a federal agent with the SBI investigating criminal activity in that area. His is assigned to investigate the murder of Phillip Drummond, a local real estate developer.
Phil was murdered late at night on a beach while waiting to meet with Bennie DeSalvo. While waiting, he became nauseous and wondered if the mulatto waitress who served him a drink might have put something besides alcohol in it.
Weeks prior to Phil’s death he visited his casual girlfriend Penelope Lane She’s an easy lay but is tired of being taken for granted. She decides to inform Dorothy Drummond of the affair and the shenanigans her husband Phil is pulling.
When Dorothy learns Phil has forged her signature on land transfer papers, she is livid and determined to stop him at any cost.
Then we have Olivess Norton, a young African American woman who hates Phil for the lack of respect he shows her and other people of color. When she learns of his ancestor’s barbaric actions to her slave ancestors she is determined to get even with the racist pig.
Three people have serious grudges against Phil Drummond. But did one of them hate him enough to kill him? That’s the question Blake strives to answer while fighting his own personal demons.
The editing and sentence structure are very good.
Character Development is thorough and in-depth.
Details are plentiful and the plot is complex and entertaining.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Hands Up
Author – Stephen Clark
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count 92,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No.33 - 2019
Posted 10/12/2019
My Impressions: Excellent portrayal of racial emotions
Main Characters:
Tyrell Wakefield – Young black man shot during a bogus traffic stop.
Ryan Quinn – The young cop who shot Tyrell.
Jade Wakefield – Tyrell’s younger emotionally damaged sister.
Regina – Tyrell’s mother.
Kelly – Tyrell’s father
Ryan’s police partner is a white racist who enjoys stopping young black motorist and harassing them. The night Tyrell is stopped, Ryan confronts his partner about his racist motives. While the white officers argue, Tyrell reaches in his pocket and is shot and killed.
The two officers concoct an alibi that Tyrell attacked them and punched Ryan’s partner.
Ryan and Tyrell’s families are both revealed to be racist with deep seated racial prejudice stemming from past incidents. Both families feel they are justified in their suspicions of the other race.
Along the way there is a crossing of the racial divide and a relationship emerges to anger and disappoint both groups.
The Wakefield kids long absent father reappears to take part in fighting for justice for his murdered son. And for the money gained in a wrongful death lawsuit. But Jade has deep seated resentment for the father who was a gangster and ran off with another woman, leaving his family to fend for themselves. Kelly insist he is back to stay and wants to revive the loving relationships he remembers with his family. But Jade is rightly suspect of Kelly.
The entire cast are flawed characters who each have their personal demons to slay. Jade turns into a manipulating bitch who contrives endings to satisfy her wants and needs at the expense of everyone else.
I enjoyed Hands Up and highly recommend it.
The editing is good with minor errors.
The cast of characters are diverse, and conflict is at every turn.
The writing is fast paced but consist of clipped street slang.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Stephen Clark
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count 92,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No.33 - 2019
Posted 10/12/2019
My Impressions: Excellent portrayal of racial emotions
Main Characters:
Tyrell Wakefield – Young black man shot during a bogus traffic stop.
Ryan Quinn – The young cop who shot Tyrell.
Jade Wakefield – Tyrell’s younger emotionally damaged sister.
Regina – Tyrell’s mother.
Kelly – Tyrell’s father
Ryan’s police partner is a white racist who enjoys stopping young black motorist and harassing them. The night Tyrell is stopped, Ryan confronts his partner about his racist motives. While the white officers argue, Tyrell reaches in his pocket and is shot and killed.
The two officers concoct an alibi that Tyrell attacked them and punched Ryan’s partner.
Ryan and Tyrell’s families are both revealed to be racist with deep seated racial prejudice stemming from past incidents. Both families feel they are justified in their suspicions of the other race.
Along the way there is a crossing of the racial divide and a relationship emerges to anger and disappoint both groups.
The Wakefield kids long absent father reappears to take part in fighting for justice for his murdered son. And for the money gained in a wrongful death lawsuit. But Jade has deep seated resentment for the father who was a gangster and ran off with another woman, leaving his family to fend for themselves. Kelly insist he is back to stay and wants to revive the loving relationships he remembers with his family. But Jade is rightly suspect of Kelly.
The entire cast are flawed characters who each have their personal demons to slay. Jade turns into a manipulating bitch who contrives endings to satisfy her wants and needs at the expense of everyone else.
I enjoyed Hands Up and highly recommend it.
The editing is good with minor errors.
The cast of characters are diverse, and conflict is at every turn.
The writing is fast paced but consist of clipped street slang.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: The Alchemist in the Attic
Author: Antonio Urias
Genre: Historical Mystery, Science Fiction, Supernatural
201 pages
The rating is 4 stars out of 5.
No. 32 – 2019
Posted: 10/4/2019
Bodies stripped of their organs have been found in San Francisco Bay. Reporter Teddy Atwood gets a lead on a macabre story concerning the murders and chases the crimes to the source, one Dr. Marius Valencourt. NOTE! The mutilated bodies of five young boys are among the victims. If you object to that, don't read the story.
The story has excellent writing, an intriguing and frightening plot, and a full cast of vividly defined characters. Atwood is tricked and ambushed at every turn as the explosive conflict is fueled by multiple vile or questionable characters, each with their own plan to profit from Teddy's confrontation with the diabolical Doctor Valencourt.
This story was enjoyable from the beginning, and the attraction grew more intense with each chapter. The ending was a gigantic surprise, and its revelation left me stunned and awed. The action scenes were unusually well thought our and believable.
I heartily recommend The Alchemist in the Attic for avid thriller fans.
Unfortunately, there are word problems: missing, extra, wrong, and misspelled. They are minor and infrequent but annoying when they occur. In addition, there are multiple comma issues. And finally, there are several continuity issues that the author has been made aware of.
After a thorough edit this story would deserve a solid 5 star rating.
This review was provided in exchange for a free copy of the book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Antonio Urias
Genre: Historical Mystery, Science Fiction, Supernatural
201 pages
The rating is 4 stars out of 5.
No. 32 – 2019
Posted: 10/4/2019
Bodies stripped of their organs have been found in San Francisco Bay. Reporter Teddy Atwood gets a lead on a macabre story concerning the murders and chases the crimes to the source, one Dr. Marius Valencourt. NOTE! The mutilated bodies of five young boys are among the victims. If you object to that, don't read the story.
The story has excellent writing, an intriguing and frightening plot, and a full cast of vividly defined characters. Atwood is tricked and ambushed at every turn as the explosive conflict is fueled by multiple vile or questionable characters, each with their own plan to profit from Teddy's confrontation with the diabolical Doctor Valencourt.
This story was enjoyable from the beginning, and the attraction grew more intense with each chapter. The ending was a gigantic surprise, and its revelation left me stunned and awed. The action scenes were unusually well thought our and believable.
I heartily recommend The Alchemist in the Attic for avid thriller fans.
Unfortunately, there are word problems: missing, extra, wrong, and misspelled. They are minor and infrequent but annoying when they occur. In addition, there are multiple comma issues. And finally, there are several continuity issues that the author has been made aware of.
After a thorough edit this story would deserve a solid 5 star rating.
This review was provided in exchange for a free copy of the book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: Ties That Bind
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Genre: Mystery, Detective, Police Procedural
79,900 Words
No. 22 - 2019
Rating 4.0 stars out of 5.0
Posted 9/28/2019
When a murder victim is found with a necktie wrapped around her neck it's filed as an isolated incident. But when a second victim is found murdered with the same brand of tie, Detective Madison Knight strongly suspects a serial killer is at work and anticipates more murders.
The relationship between Madison and her junior partner Terry added mostly good natured conflict. The two of them sparred constantly and provided an internal story besides the murders.
It didn't take many appearances by her Sergeant and the Police Chief to form the same low opinion of the men that Madison had developed. The characters are interesting and well defined. Madison is shown to be a single workaholic with a passive aggressive personality. She constantly thinks of what she coulda, shoulda, woulda done.
Editing is okay except for minor occasional issues, and the plot held my attention. I recommend this story.
On the negative side, there is far too much telling in narrative instead of using dialog to carry the story and inform the reader. In addition, the writing is wordy.
I cringed when Layton rented a car under a phony name he'd just made up. He couldn't have had a credit card in that name, and I know from experience I can't rent a car without one. That should have been researched and caught.
This story is rated 4.0
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Genre: Mystery, Detective, Police Procedural
79,900 Words
No. 22 - 2019
Rating 4.0 stars out of 5.0
Posted 9/28/2019
When a murder victim is found with a necktie wrapped around her neck it's filed as an isolated incident. But when a second victim is found murdered with the same brand of tie, Detective Madison Knight strongly suspects a serial killer is at work and anticipates more murders.
The relationship between Madison and her junior partner Terry added mostly good natured conflict. The two of them sparred constantly and provided an internal story besides the murders.
It didn't take many appearances by her Sergeant and the Police Chief to form the same low opinion of the men that Madison had developed. The characters are interesting and well defined. Madison is shown to be a single workaholic with a passive aggressive personality. She constantly thinks of what she coulda, shoulda, woulda done.
Editing is okay except for minor occasional issues, and the plot held my attention. I recommend this story.
On the negative side, there is far too much telling in narrative instead of using dialog to carry the story and inform the reader. In addition, the writing is wordy.
I cringed when Layton rented a car under a phony name he'd just made up. He couldn't have had a credit card in that name, and I know from experience I can't rent a car without one. That should have been researched and caught.
This story is rated 4.0
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: Outside Forces Days of Reckoning
Author: R E Swirsky
Genre: Mystery, Detective, Thriller, Suspense
125,000 Words
Rating 4.0 out of 5.0
No. 29 – 2019
Posted – 9/22/2019
Tall and scrawny, eighteen year old, Michael Crowder finally has a girlfriend. But Lucy also has another boyfriend. Michael hides under Lucy's bed when she is abducted, and that heinous act leads to Michael's family being dragged into a series of nightmarish murder schemes.
The plot revolves around a secret vigilante organization named the Order; they were formed to correct the errors of an imperfect justice system. Toward the end, we learn the Order has run off the tracks and the leadership isn't the high minded group it started out to be.
Outside Forces is an excellent story, full of mystery and suspense. Conflict, intrigue, thrills, and unexpected twist abound.
The large cast of characters is described well and develops over the course of the story. Their intimate secrets keep popping out on all fronts.
There are evil antagonists galore to keep the reader guessing as to what is coming next and who will be impacted.
The pace is fast with multiple deceptions being played out on several sides.
To complicate matters further, Michael has suffered since childhood with a condition that would make his testimony to the police unbelievable and make him appear guilty.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that keeps open the option of a follow up story.
Editing, as usual, is the downfall preventing this story from being a perfect 5.0. While certainly not awful, there are enough missing, extra, and misspelled words to be irritating. Several sentence structures were clumsy causing one dialog to be difficult to pinpoint who was speaking.
Outside Forces receives a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: R E Swirsky
Genre: Mystery, Detective, Thriller, Suspense
125,000 Words
Rating 4.0 out of 5.0
No. 29 – 2019
Posted – 9/22/2019
Tall and scrawny, eighteen year old, Michael Crowder finally has a girlfriend. But Lucy also has another boyfriend. Michael hides under Lucy's bed when she is abducted, and that heinous act leads to Michael's family being dragged into a series of nightmarish murder schemes.
The plot revolves around a secret vigilante organization named the Order; they were formed to correct the errors of an imperfect justice system. Toward the end, we learn the Order has run off the tracks and the leadership isn't the high minded group it started out to be.
Outside Forces is an excellent story, full of mystery and suspense. Conflict, intrigue, thrills, and unexpected twist abound.
The large cast of characters is described well and develops over the course of the story. Their intimate secrets keep popping out on all fronts.
There are evil antagonists galore to keep the reader guessing as to what is coming next and who will be impacted.
The pace is fast with multiple deceptions being played out on several sides.
To complicate matters further, Michael has suffered since childhood with a condition that would make his testimony to the police unbelievable and make him appear guilty.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that keeps open the option of a follow up story.
Editing, as usual, is the downfall preventing this story from being a perfect 5.0. While certainly not awful, there are enough missing, extra, and misspelled words to be irritating. Several sentence structures were clumsy causing one dialog to be difficult to pinpoint who was speaking.
Outside Forces receives a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: McKuen's Revenge
Author: Andy King
Genre: Vigilante justice crime thriller
154 pages
No. 25, 2019
Rating 4.0
Posted 9/14/2019
Steve McKuen and his pal Dennis have shady backgrounds where drugs were involved. They've each made lots of enemies over the years, and that makes it almost impossible to decide where their latest threats are coming from.
A silver necklace with precious stones is at the center of this mystery thriller. A small piece of paper with numbers and letters on it is found in the locket hanging from the necklace. They believe it is the key to a small fortune hidden by a dead criminal. Someone else has a similar small piece of paper and needs the one Steve has.
McKuen's Revenge is full of intense conflict, off the wall characters and action.
This is part one of a five part story.
The editing, character development, plot, and continuity are good.
The problems involve lack of breaks between some scenes, and the arrangement of one character's dialog having narrative associated with a second character tacked on the end of it. Then the second character's dialog follows on the next line. It's highly confusing.
A thorough edit would garner this story a 5.0 rating.
I enjoyed the read and recommend it.
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Andy King
Genre: Vigilante justice crime thriller
154 pages
No. 25, 2019
Rating 4.0
Posted 9/14/2019
Steve McKuen and his pal Dennis have shady backgrounds where drugs were involved. They've each made lots of enemies over the years, and that makes it almost impossible to decide where their latest threats are coming from.
A silver necklace with precious stones is at the center of this mystery thriller. A small piece of paper with numbers and letters on it is found in the locket hanging from the necklace. They believe it is the key to a small fortune hidden by a dead criminal. Someone else has a similar small piece of paper and needs the one Steve has.
McKuen's Revenge is full of intense conflict, off the wall characters and action.
This is part one of a five part story.
The editing, character development, plot, and continuity are good.
The problems involve lack of breaks between some scenes, and the arrangement of one character's dialog having narrative associated with a second character tacked on the end of it. Then the second character's dialog follows on the next line. It's highly confusing.
A thorough edit would garner this story a 5.0 rating.
I enjoyed the read and recommend it.
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Seventy Four
Author – M.C. Muir
Genre – Action Adventure, Historical Nautical Fiction
236 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars our of 5
No. 24 - 2019
Posted 9/6/2019
Main characters:
Capt. Oliver Quintrell, commanding the British 32 gun frigate Perpetual.
Capt. Wm. Liversedge, commanding the British 74 gun ship of the line Stalwart.
My impressions: cruel, carnage, hardship, dictatorial control, slaughter, fanatics,
The Seventy Four is an intense seafaring yarn set in the early 1800s that is sure to draw acclaim from fans of historical nautical fiction. Accounts of the horrible living conditions and treatment of the common sailors will appall those new to the genre.
Captain Quintrell is the primary character. The majority of the story takes place while the ships are underway. Soon the reader is drawn into the history of the Irish hatred of the British from the atrocities committed against the Irish population during the 1798 Irish rebellion. This underlying hatred plays a large role throughout the plot. A detailed account of the deep-seated feelings of the typical Irish seaman toward the British accounts for a considerable amount of the dialog and narrative.
Early on the reader picks up undercurrents of anguish and hints of pending mutiny aboard the ships. And mutinies there are. Control of the Stalwart and a captured French frigate change hands amid subterfuge and double crossing as the mutineers attempt to find and possess a trove of silver taken from a Spanish ship and believed to be stored aboard the Stalwart. When captured French seamen are confined with Irish mutineers the result is gruesome and bloody.
Editing and sentence structure are good with only a few minor errors.
The plot is complex with many twists and turns and a surprise at the ending.
Details are extensive and paint vivid images of the main and supporting characters and the ships.
Time spent on research of the period and its sailing ships is evident.
The story is recommended for fans of historical nautical fiction and those readers looking for additional action/adventure genres. This is book five in the Oliver Quintrell series.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – M.C. Muir
Genre – Action Adventure, Historical Nautical Fiction
236 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars our of 5
No. 24 - 2019
Posted 9/6/2019
Main characters:
Capt. Oliver Quintrell, commanding the British 32 gun frigate Perpetual.
Capt. Wm. Liversedge, commanding the British 74 gun ship of the line Stalwart.
My impressions: cruel, carnage, hardship, dictatorial control, slaughter, fanatics,
The Seventy Four is an intense seafaring yarn set in the early 1800s that is sure to draw acclaim from fans of historical nautical fiction. Accounts of the horrible living conditions and treatment of the common sailors will appall those new to the genre.
Captain Quintrell is the primary character. The majority of the story takes place while the ships are underway. Soon the reader is drawn into the history of the Irish hatred of the British from the atrocities committed against the Irish population during the 1798 Irish rebellion. This underlying hatred plays a large role throughout the plot. A detailed account of the deep-seated feelings of the typical Irish seaman toward the British accounts for a considerable amount of the dialog and narrative.
Early on the reader picks up undercurrents of anguish and hints of pending mutiny aboard the ships. And mutinies there are. Control of the Stalwart and a captured French frigate change hands amid subterfuge and double crossing as the mutineers attempt to find and possess a trove of silver taken from a Spanish ship and believed to be stored aboard the Stalwart. When captured French seamen are confined with Irish mutineers the result is gruesome and bloody.
Editing and sentence structure are good with only a few minor errors.
The plot is complex with many twists and turns and a surprise at the ending.
Details are extensive and paint vivid images of the main and supporting characters and the ships.
Time spent on research of the period and its sailing ships is evident.
The story is recommended for fans of historical nautical fiction and those readers looking for additional action/adventure genres. This is book five in the Oliver Quintrell series.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Sand River
Author – James Vaughan
Genre – Action Adventure, Western
320 pages.
Rating Four stars out of Five
No. 31 - 2019
Posted 8/30/2019
My Impressions: Excellent coming of age story in the 1880s and later
Main Characters: Jack Grice
Support Characters: Many others
The story begins in 1932 in Lexington, Kentucky when Jack Grice is seventy-one. Then he reminisces about his past life. At age six his parents died of Typhoid. He was sent to live with a geriatric man. Mr. Peters. When Jack was fourteen Mr. Peters died and his relative inherited the house. The relative smiled as told Jack to leave and never come back. So at fourteen Jack was on his own with only fifty dollars to carry him to God only knew where.
While escaping Jack loses his money when attacked by three ex-soldiers. He kills one and severely injures another.
And that sets the stage for the rest of the amazing tale. The story is fast paced and each page held my interest.
Jack’s goal is to become a real cowboy and join cattle drives. But along with that desire he is smart enough to learn any trade used on a cattle ranch
Jack learns he had a natural ability with firearms, pistol and rifle, and, of course, that lands him in trouble. Although he is innocent in most cases it brings the law down on him.
Sand River is complex and fast moving.
There is a hint of romance but circumstances don’t let it develop.
The editing in general is poor or the story would get the five star rating the storytelling deserves.
Sentence structure is good for the period portrayed.
Character Development is great for all the major characters
Details are abundant and frequent
Research is extraordinary in its depth to cover the 1880s.
The plot is excellent and full of conflict
The writing style is crisp and to the point and avoids wordiness.
This is the author’s first western novel. Five Peso Badge followed it and is also excellent.
I heartily recommend Sand River for all fans of early western life.
This review was provided without a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – James Vaughan
Genre – Action Adventure, Western
320 pages.
Rating Four stars out of Five
No. 31 - 2019
Posted 8/30/2019
My Impressions: Excellent coming of age story in the 1880s and later
Main Characters: Jack Grice
Support Characters: Many others
The story begins in 1932 in Lexington, Kentucky when Jack Grice is seventy-one. Then he reminisces about his past life. At age six his parents died of Typhoid. He was sent to live with a geriatric man. Mr. Peters. When Jack was fourteen Mr. Peters died and his relative inherited the house. The relative smiled as told Jack to leave and never come back. So at fourteen Jack was on his own with only fifty dollars to carry him to God only knew where.
While escaping Jack loses his money when attacked by three ex-soldiers. He kills one and severely injures another.
And that sets the stage for the rest of the amazing tale. The story is fast paced and each page held my interest.
Jack’s goal is to become a real cowboy and join cattle drives. But along with that desire he is smart enough to learn any trade used on a cattle ranch
Jack learns he had a natural ability with firearms, pistol and rifle, and, of course, that lands him in trouble. Although he is innocent in most cases it brings the law down on him.
Sand River is complex and fast moving.
There is a hint of romance but circumstances don’t let it develop.
The editing in general is poor or the story would get the five star rating the storytelling deserves.
Sentence structure is good for the period portrayed.
Character Development is great for all the major characters
Details are abundant and frequent
Research is extraordinary in its depth to cover the 1880s.
The plot is excellent and full of conflict
The writing style is crisp and to the point and avoids wordiness.
This is the author’s first western novel. Five Peso Badge followed it and is also excellent.
I heartily recommend Sand River for all fans of early western life.
This review was provided without a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Five Peso Badge
Author – James Vaughn
Genre – Thriller, Modern Western, Detective
Word Count 96,300
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 28 - 2019
Posted 8/24/2019
My Impressions: Action packed, gritty, great characters, great plot.
Main Characters:
Emmett Capps – Texas Ranger
Moose - Detective
Finn - Detective
Many more support characters.
The story begins in 1979 with Texas Ranger Emmett Capps eating lunch. Staying calm, he watched two wanted bank robbers enter the restaurant. In a shootout the two criminals are killed by Capps, and his reputation is established as a no nonsense crime fighter. Emmett came from a totally dysfunctional family. His mother is an alcoholic, his brother a slime bag, and his father was a petty criminal. Three plot lines are dealt with simultaneously and provide conflict and tension in the story. Gila, a cartel leader in Mexico controls the drug trade across the border in Texas. Emmett, Moose, and Finn are determined to shut him down. Then Emmett discovers several murders are linked and starts on the trail of a serial killer. When the killer is identified, Emmett is ostracized by the press because no one can believe the prominent citizen can be the murderer. And finally Emmett must deal with family issues with his brother Lenny who owns a strip club and involves Emmett in his criminal problems.
The editing is exemplary with tight sentence structure.
Character development is through and made me care about the good guys.
Details are adequate but not overdone.
Research of details is apparent.
The story is complex and involves several intermingled plots.
The writing style is fast paced with many short, choppy sentences that held my interest.
This is one of the best stories I’ve read this year, and I hope the author writes a sequel staring Ranger Emmett Capps.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – James Vaughn
Genre – Thriller, Modern Western, Detective
Word Count 96,300
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 28 - 2019
Posted 8/24/2019
My Impressions: Action packed, gritty, great characters, great plot.
Main Characters:
Emmett Capps – Texas Ranger
Moose - Detective
Finn - Detective
Many more support characters.
The story begins in 1979 with Texas Ranger Emmett Capps eating lunch. Staying calm, he watched two wanted bank robbers enter the restaurant. In a shootout the two criminals are killed by Capps, and his reputation is established as a no nonsense crime fighter. Emmett came from a totally dysfunctional family. His mother is an alcoholic, his brother a slime bag, and his father was a petty criminal. Three plot lines are dealt with simultaneously and provide conflict and tension in the story. Gila, a cartel leader in Mexico controls the drug trade across the border in Texas. Emmett, Moose, and Finn are determined to shut him down. Then Emmett discovers several murders are linked and starts on the trail of a serial killer. When the killer is identified, Emmett is ostracized by the press because no one can believe the prominent citizen can be the murderer. And finally Emmett must deal with family issues with his brother Lenny who owns a strip club and involves Emmett in his criminal problems.
The editing is exemplary with tight sentence structure.
Character development is through and made me care about the good guys.
Details are adequate but not overdone.
Research of details is apparent.
The story is complex and involves several intermingled plots.
The writing style is fast paced with many short, choppy sentences that held my interest.
This is one of the best stories I’ve read this year, and I hope the author writes a sequel staring Ranger Emmett Capps.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – A Man With One of Those Faces
Author – Caimh McDonnell
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Humor
322Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 23 - 2019
Posted 8/17/2019
Main Characters:
Paul Mulchrone – slacker, good person
Brigit Conroy- nurse, feels responsible for Paul's predicament.
Det. Insp. Jimmy Stewart – honest cop, tries to help Paul and Brigit.
Bunny McGarry – Police Sergeant, good person, shadowy character, tough.
My impressions: humorous, great characters easy to like, lots of action, great mystery.
The story is set in Dublin, Ireland. Some of the native slang used isn't covered by kindle's dictionary function.
The characters in A Man With One of Those Faces are distinctly different and memorable. Watch for Dorothy, she's a blast.
Paul Mulchrone goes out of his way to comfort a nursing home patient about to die. He has a knack for letting failing patients assume he is a relative. But this one tries to kill him, and he has no idea why. Before the patient can be questioned, he dies.
From there Paul and Brigit have to run from an unknown mobster who fears the dying patient divulged a guarded secret about a famous crime committed thirty years ago. The action is intense as they run from the antagonist trying to kill them and a spy in the police department who is working with the bad guys.
The bantering between Paul and Brigit is clever and humorous, not silly or slapstick. Toss Bunny McGarry's character into the mix and the laughs are contagious. Bunny adds a loose cannon good guy to the quirky cast.
The editing and sentence structure are good, and the plot is excellent.
The worst thing about the story is the title.
The story was enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Caimh McDonnell
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Humor
322Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 23 - 2019
Posted 8/17/2019
Main Characters:
Paul Mulchrone – slacker, good person
Brigit Conroy- nurse, feels responsible for Paul's predicament.
Det. Insp. Jimmy Stewart – honest cop, tries to help Paul and Brigit.
Bunny McGarry – Police Sergeant, good person, shadowy character, tough.
My impressions: humorous, great characters easy to like, lots of action, great mystery.
The story is set in Dublin, Ireland. Some of the native slang used isn't covered by kindle's dictionary function.
The characters in A Man With One of Those Faces are distinctly different and memorable. Watch for Dorothy, she's a blast.
Paul Mulchrone goes out of his way to comfort a nursing home patient about to die. He has a knack for letting failing patients assume he is a relative. But this one tries to kill him, and he has no idea why. Before the patient can be questioned, he dies.
From there Paul and Brigit have to run from an unknown mobster who fears the dying patient divulged a guarded secret about a famous crime committed thirty years ago. The action is intense as they run from the antagonist trying to kill them and a spy in the police department who is working with the bad guys.
The bantering between Paul and Brigit is clever and humorous, not silly or slapstick. Toss Bunny McGarry's character into the mix and the laughs are contagious. Bunny adds a loose cannon good guy to the quirky cast.
The editing and sentence structure are good, and the plot is excellent.
The worst thing about the story is the title.
The story was enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Road To Reveille
Author – John McLain
Genre – Action Adventure, Western
Word Count 76,000
Rating 5 stars our of 5
No. 24 - 2019
Posted 8/9/2019
My Impressions: Hard hitting and well written coming of age story set in 1904 New York City and Wyoming.
Main Characters:
Tom Callaghan – nineteen-year-old Irish immigrant.
Will Sherman – middle-aged rancher from Wyoming
Ellen Sherman – Will’s strong willed young daughter.
A large cast of good guys and crooked hard-cases.
The Road To Reveille is a wonderful coming of age story of a young punk who has been treated badly most of his miserable life. Tom attempts to rob a strangely dressed older man in New York City. But Will Sherman is having none of that. He knocks Tom out with his revolver and the police show up to haul the young tough off to the Tombs, a notorious jail.
Expectations are high that Tom will be sent to prison because of his past, long history of theft and larceny. Will believes there is good deep in the troubled young man and strikes a deal with the Judge at Tom’s hearing. Will proposed to take Tom to Wyoming to live and work on his ranch for one year. From there on Tom acts out his rebellious temper at every turn.
Will is patient and corrals the boy each time he rebels. The only thing Tom enjoys at the ranch are the horses with which he has an unusual shared affinity.
Tom’s rebelliousness almost gets him and another cowboy killed as he tries to leave and escape the ranch.
The writing is rich and descriptive and caused me to stay up late to finish the story.
There are editing issues with extra and missing commas, extra and missing words, and some sentence structures. The errors are not atrocious, but they are there. Normally the number of errors would warrant a rating of 4.5 stars at best. But in this case the story is so outstanding it receives a 5.0 with the errors noted.
The Road to Reveille is a great story and I heartily recommend it for all readers, but especially for western fans.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John McLain
Genre – Action Adventure, Western
Word Count 76,000
Rating 5 stars our of 5
No. 24 - 2019
Posted 8/9/2019
My Impressions: Hard hitting and well written coming of age story set in 1904 New York City and Wyoming.
Main Characters:
Tom Callaghan – nineteen-year-old Irish immigrant.
Will Sherman – middle-aged rancher from Wyoming
Ellen Sherman – Will’s strong willed young daughter.
A large cast of good guys and crooked hard-cases.
The Road To Reveille is a wonderful coming of age story of a young punk who has been treated badly most of his miserable life. Tom attempts to rob a strangely dressed older man in New York City. But Will Sherman is having none of that. He knocks Tom out with his revolver and the police show up to haul the young tough off to the Tombs, a notorious jail.
Expectations are high that Tom will be sent to prison because of his past, long history of theft and larceny. Will believes there is good deep in the troubled young man and strikes a deal with the Judge at Tom’s hearing. Will proposed to take Tom to Wyoming to live and work on his ranch for one year. From there on Tom acts out his rebellious temper at every turn.
Will is patient and corrals the boy each time he rebels. The only thing Tom enjoys at the ranch are the horses with which he has an unusual shared affinity.
Tom’s rebelliousness almost gets him and another cowboy killed as he tries to leave and escape the ranch.
The writing is rich and descriptive and caused me to stay up late to finish the story.
There are editing issues with extra and missing commas, extra and missing words, and some sentence structures. The errors are not atrocious, but they are there. Normally the number of errors would warrant a rating of 4.5 stars at best. But in this case the story is so outstanding it receives a 5.0 with the errors noted.
The Road to Reveille is a great story and I heartily recommend it for all readers, but especially for western fans.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title: Ties That Bind
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Mystery, Detective, Police Procedural
79,900 Words
No. 22 - 2019
Rating 4.0 our of 5.0 posted 12/9/15
Posted 8/5/2019
When a murder victim is found with a tie wrapped around her neck it's filed as an isolated incident. But when a second victim is found murdered with the same brand of tie Detective Madison Knight strongly suspects a serial killer is at work and anticipates more murders.
The relationship between Madison and her junior partner Terry added mostly good natured conflict. The two of them sparred constantly and provided an internal story besides the murders.
It didn't take many appearances by her Sergeant and the Police Chief to form the same low opinion of the men that Madison had developed. The characters are interesting and well defined. Madison is shown to be a single workaholic with a passive aggressive personality. She constantly thinks of what she coulda, shoulda, woulda done.
Editing is okay except for minor occasional issues, and the plot held my attention. I recommend this story.
On the negative side, there is far too much telling in narrative instead of using dialog to carry the story and inform the reader. In addition, the writing is wordy.
I cringed when Layton rented a car under a phony name he'd just made up. He couldn't have had a credit card in that name, and I know from experience I can't rent a car without one. That should have been researched and caught.
This story is rated 4.0
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Mystery, Detective, Police Procedural
79,900 Words
No. 22 - 2019
Rating 4.0 our of 5.0 posted 12/9/15
Posted 8/5/2019
When a murder victim is found with a tie wrapped around her neck it's filed as an isolated incident. But when a second victim is found murdered with the same brand of tie Detective Madison Knight strongly suspects a serial killer is at work and anticipates more murders.
The relationship between Madison and her junior partner Terry added mostly good natured conflict. The two of them sparred constantly and provided an internal story besides the murders.
It didn't take many appearances by her Sergeant and the Police Chief to form the same low opinion of the men that Madison had developed. The characters are interesting and well defined. Madison is shown to be a single workaholic with a passive aggressive personality. She constantly thinks of what she coulda, shoulda, woulda done.
Editing is okay except for minor occasional issues, and the plot held my attention. I recommend this story.
On the negative side, there is far too much telling in narrative instead of using dialog to carry the story and inform the reader. In addition, the writing is wordy.
I cringed when Layton rented a car under a phony name he'd just made up. He couldn't have had a credit card in that name, and I know from experience I can't rent a car without one. That should have been researched and caught.
This story is rated 4.0
This is a review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Johnny and Jamaal
Author – K.M. Breakey
Genre – Crime, Thriller, Political
284 Amazon Pages
Rating 6 stars out of 5
No. 20 - 2019
Posted 7/28/2019
The Main Cast
Johnny Robertson – Canadian hockey player who achieves stardom shortly before his life is senselessly ended.
Jamaal Cooper – High school basketball star with a great future. Part of a group of low-lifes who murder Johnny.
Lucas Wayne – Best friend of Johnny. Successful white businessman. Falls in love with a black girl.
Chantal Johnson - Black girlfriend of Lucas. She is fervent about racial issues, supports Black Lives Matter.
Dr. Wilber Rufus Holmes Jr. – A wise multi-racial visionary taking the teachings of MLK to new heights.
Geroy Jenkins – A lying black race hustler extraordinaire surpassing even Jackson and Sharpton.
Johnny and Jamaal is hard to read for two reasons. It thoroughly explores the Black vs. White race issues in the USA and that in itself is extremely disturbing. It is set in present times in the racially explosive city of St. Louis, Missouri and explores the reasons for the racial divide's existence in harsh reality. Second, most of the dialog of low-life black characters is written in black street talk and at times is difficult to decipher. Non-African Americans will need to work at it, but it's worth it.
I won't summarize the story because it would be too easy to give away details of the plot through spoilers. Read it yourself for the full effect. It's well worth your time.
Suffice to say the plot is intriguing, explosive, and full of conflict. The action is intense as is the verbal inter-action between the characters. One white character especially is a real racist ass who presents his barbs as biting humor.
As the story developed, I read on pins and needles anticipating dire acts to evolve. And they did. At times I had to make myself keep reading because the story parallels recent events in the city, the state and throughout our nation. It's not pretty. The dialog and narrative are harsh and thought provoking
The tone of the story is presented from a strong conservative point of view and takes the liberal faction to task for facilitating the decline of the African American family unit, values and life style. As with most problems, the black society is presented as its own worst enemy.
The editing is very good but not perfect. Sentence structure and character development are outstanding. The plot is controversial and both sides of the racial issue are presented sensibly with blame heaped on all parties.
Seldom do I ever read a novel for a second time; Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is the lone exception. I read it about once every ten years. Johnny and Jamaal will join that illustrious group of one. It is an impressive novel and I strongly recommend it.
I've been fortunate to have read several exceptional novels this year. Johnny & Jamaal is among the top of that list.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – K.M. Breakey
Genre – Crime, Thriller, Political
284 Amazon Pages
Rating 6 stars out of 5
No. 20 - 2019
Posted 7/28/2019
The Main Cast
Johnny Robertson – Canadian hockey player who achieves stardom shortly before his life is senselessly ended.
Jamaal Cooper – High school basketball star with a great future. Part of a group of low-lifes who murder Johnny.
Lucas Wayne – Best friend of Johnny. Successful white businessman. Falls in love with a black girl.
Chantal Johnson - Black girlfriend of Lucas. She is fervent about racial issues, supports Black Lives Matter.
Dr. Wilber Rufus Holmes Jr. – A wise multi-racial visionary taking the teachings of MLK to new heights.
Geroy Jenkins – A lying black race hustler extraordinaire surpassing even Jackson and Sharpton.
Johnny and Jamaal is hard to read for two reasons. It thoroughly explores the Black vs. White race issues in the USA and that in itself is extremely disturbing. It is set in present times in the racially explosive city of St. Louis, Missouri and explores the reasons for the racial divide's existence in harsh reality. Second, most of the dialog of low-life black characters is written in black street talk and at times is difficult to decipher. Non-African Americans will need to work at it, but it's worth it.
I won't summarize the story because it would be too easy to give away details of the plot through spoilers. Read it yourself for the full effect. It's well worth your time.
Suffice to say the plot is intriguing, explosive, and full of conflict. The action is intense as is the verbal inter-action between the characters. One white character especially is a real racist ass who presents his barbs as biting humor.
As the story developed, I read on pins and needles anticipating dire acts to evolve. And they did. At times I had to make myself keep reading because the story parallels recent events in the city, the state and throughout our nation. It's not pretty. The dialog and narrative are harsh and thought provoking
The tone of the story is presented from a strong conservative point of view and takes the liberal faction to task for facilitating the decline of the African American family unit, values and life style. As with most problems, the black society is presented as its own worst enemy.
The editing is very good but not perfect. Sentence structure and character development are outstanding. The plot is controversial and both sides of the racial issue are presented sensibly with blame heaped on all parties.
Seldom do I ever read a novel for a second time; Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is the lone exception. I read it about once every ten years. Johnny and Jamaal will join that illustrious group of one. It is an impressive novel and I strongly recommend it.
I've been fortunate to have read several exceptional novels this year. Johnny & Jamaal is among the top of that list.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Point of Attraction
Margaret Van Der Wolf
Mystery and Detective, Cozy
75,950 words
No. 19 - 2019
Rating 4.0 stars out of 5.0
Posted 7/19/2019
Point of Attraction was a great surprise for me. Not being a fervent reader of cozy romantic stories, I was pleased to find an actual thriller plot that could have stood on its own without the cozy angle. The two genres came together with feeling, high levels of emotion and action to culminate in an engrossing read.
Georgie Gainsworth is the main character. She owns a beauty solon where she also provides hair cuts to men. Her primary hobby is writing novels.
Mason Montgomery is a policeman and aspiring writer who signs up for a writing class.
You can surely imagine where their point of contact begins and where this is going.
Georgie is a widow. She clings to the memory of the perfect husband and her deceased mother. Before her death, the mother made a Raggedy Ann doll for Georgie so she would always remember that her mother was spiritually there for her.
But then the doll is suddenly stolen, Georgie is almost the victim of a hit and run, and the mystery grows and darkens the farther the plot develops.
The cast of charming but chaotic characters are described and developed with precision and feeling. Some of her friends are over the top kooks, but they love Georgie and would protect her with their lives.
The writing style is crisp and descriptive and flows smoothly throughout.
I recommend this book for all who read the mixed genre.
That's the good part, but the book is not without fault in other respects.
That old bugaboo, editing, reared its ugly head and detracted from the overall fine writing. There are missing words, extra words, misspelled words, and misused words. They are not in abundance considering the length of the novel, but they are there, and they are noticeable. I suspect this is self edited because silly little errors slipped through: using past for passed, he's for his.
Point of Attraction still deserves a high rating because the plot, the characters, and the writing are strong.
The book is rated 4 stars and I recommend it.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Margaret Van Der Wolf
Mystery and Detective, Cozy
75,950 words
No. 19 - 2019
Rating 4.0 stars out of 5.0
Posted 7/19/2019
Point of Attraction was a great surprise for me. Not being a fervent reader of cozy romantic stories, I was pleased to find an actual thriller plot that could have stood on its own without the cozy angle. The two genres came together with feeling, high levels of emotion and action to culminate in an engrossing read.
Georgie Gainsworth is the main character. She owns a beauty solon where she also provides hair cuts to men. Her primary hobby is writing novels.
Mason Montgomery is a policeman and aspiring writer who signs up for a writing class.
You can surely imagine where their point of contact begins and where this is going.
Georgie is a widow. She clings to the memory of the perfect husband and her deceased mother. Before her death, the mother made a Raggedy Ann doll for Georgie so she would always remember that her mother was spiritually there for her.
But then the doll is suddenly stolen, Georgie is almost the victim of a hit and run, and the mystery grows and darkens the farther the plot develops.
The cast of charming but chaotic characters are described and developed with precision and feeling. Some of her friends are over the top kooks, but they love Georgie and would protect her with their lives.
The writing style is crisp and descriptive and flows smoothly throughout.
I recommend this book for all who read the mixed genre.
That's the good part, but the book is not without fault in other respects.
That old bugaboo, editing, reared its ugly head and detracted from the overall fine writing. There are missing words, extra words, misspelled words, and misused words. They are not in abundance considering the length of the novel, but they are there, and they are noticeable. I suspect this is self edited because silly little errors slipped through: using past for passed, he's for his.
Point of Attraction still deserves a high rating because the plot, the characters, and the writing are strong.
The book is rated 4 stars and I recommend it.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Helsinki Pact
Author – Alex Cucia
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Political
355 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 18 - 2019
Posted 7/12/2019
The plot and story telling of The Helsinki Pact deserves a five star rating. The plot is full of surprises.
My impressions: intense, conflict, betrayal, danger, socialism, murder, theft, torture, love.
The story begins in East and West Germany in March 1989 shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall. The action is plentiful and intense.
Thomas Wundart is a West German economics student and aspiring opera singer. He is a scammer earning money by criminal activities in East Berlin.
Bettina List is an East German agent of the secret police, The Stasi.
Colonel Dieter is a high ranking officer in The Stasi.
Stephan Fischer is the assistant to Alfred Herrin the CEO of Deutsche Bank in West Germany. Stephan is Thomas's best friend.
Russia is facing financial collapse. Alfred Herrin represents the West German Government and has been authorized to facilitate a deal between Russia and West Germany. Russia will get the money it desperately needs in exchange for allowing the reunification of West and East Germany.
A second plot in the story finds four East Germans planning to dig a tunnel and escape to West Germany.
Unknown to the Stasi, Thomas has helped the four young people attempting to escape to West Berlin.
What the Stasi network does know, through his relationship with agent Bettina, is that Thomas has been involved in black market currency manipulation. He is arrested, and during interrogation Colonel Dieter learns Thomas's father was a successful West German banker at Bundesbank. Before his death, he enjoyed ties to other movers and shakers in the West German banking industry and government. Under threat of imprisonment in East Germany, Thomas agrees to become an informer reporting to Colonel Dieter.
Another twist in the plot is a group of six people headed by 'The Brain'. They plan to illegally collect millions of Deutsche Marks by manipulating the currency exchange rates during the East and West reunification.
The editing and sentence structure are to UK standards and are a bit different from what US readers are used to.
I strongly recommend this story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Alex Cucia
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Political
355 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 18 - 2019
Posted 7/12/2019
The plot and story telling of The Helsinki Pact deserves a five star rating. The plot is full of surprises.
My impressions: intense, conflict, betrayal, danger, socialism, murder, theft, torture, love.
The story begins in East and West Germany in March 1989 shortly before the fall of the Berlin wall. The action is plentiful and intense.
Thomas Wundart is a West German economics student and aspiring opera singer. He is a scammer earning money by criminal activities in East Berlin.
Bettina List is an East German agent of the secret police, The Stasi.
Colonel Dieter is a high ranking officer in The Stasi.
Stephan Fischer is the assistant to Alfred Herrin the CEO of Deutsche Bank in West Germany. Stephan is Thomas's best friend.
Russia is facing financial collapse. Alfred Herrin represents the West German Government and has been authorized to facilitate a deal between Russia and West Germany. Russia will get the money it desperately needs in exchange for allowing the reunification of West and East Germany.
A second plot in the story finds four East Germans planning to dig a tunnel and escape to West Germany.
Unknown to the Stasi, Thomas has helped the four young people attempting to escape to West Berlin.
What the Stasi network does know, through his relationship with agent Bettina, is that Thomas has been involved in black market currency manipulation. He is arrested, and during interrogation Colonel Dieter learns Thomas's father was a successful West German banker at Bundesbank. Before his death, he enjoyed ties to other movers and shakers in the West German banking industry and government. Under threat of imprisonment in East Germany, Thomas agrees to become an informer reporting to Colonel Dieter.
Another twist in the plot is a group of six people headed by 'The Brain'. They plan to illegally collect millions of Deutsche Marks by manipulating the currency exchange rates during the East and West reunification.
The editing and sentence structure are to UK standards and are a bit different from what US readers are used to.
I strongly recommend this story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Haywood Micaye
Author – Ashlynne Doyle
Genre – Psychological Spy Thriller
Word Count 86,500
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 18-1 - 2019
Posted 7/5/2019
Haywood James Micaye is a seriously disturbed government agent who envisions himself to be above normal humanity. In fact, he sees himself as perfect and doesn’t believe he is human.
Micaye is more serious than Maxwell Smart but even more kooky. The action scenes are a bit tongue in cheek as the superagent manages to defeat overwhelming odds.
Micaye’s mother died before he knew her. His father, a highly successful business mogul, was a cruel, demanding, and demeaning tyrant. Grandpa was patient and loving but died when Micaye was six. Micaye turned inward and hardened into an arrogant, self-centered, sociopath who could murder without remorse
The world is threatened by a group named the Leviticus. Micaye chases leads and finally reached the group’s leader.
Throughout Micaye’s investigation he finally experiences the emotions normal humans feel. Guilt over his cruel attacks on other humans causes him to want to change and do good for the world. But does he?
This is not a typical crime story but a psychological romp through the main characters emotions, or lack thereof. I recommend it for readers who enjoy following a psychotic personality.
There are no sexual situations and only minor cursing.
The editing is poor. The plot and writing deserve better.
Some sentence structures need reorganization.
Character development is excellent
Details are adequate
Thorough research is apparent
The plot is fresh and captivating
The author’s writing style is exceptional.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Ashlynne Doyle
Genre – Psychological Spy Thriller
Word Count 86,500
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 18-1 - 2019
Posted 7/5/2019
Haywood James Micaye is a seriously disturbed government agent who envisions himself to be above normal humanity. In fact, he sees himself as perfect and doesn’t believe he is human.
Micaye is more serious than Maxwell Smart but even more kooky. The action scenes are a bit tongue in cheek as the superagent manages to defeat overwhelming odds.
Micaye’s mother died before he knew her. His father, a highly successful business mogul, was a cruel, demanding, and demeaning tyrant. Grandpa was patient and loving but died when Micaye was six. Micaye turned inward and hardened into an arrogant, self-centered, sociopath who could murder without remorse
The world is threatened by a group named the Leviticus. Micaye chases leads and finally reached the group’s leader.
Throughout Micaye’s investigation he finally experiences the emotions normal humans feel. Guilt over his cruel attacks on other humans causes him to want to change and do good for the world. But does he?
This is not a typical crime story but a psychological romp through the main characters emotions, or lack thereof. I recommend it for readers who enjoy following a psychotic personality.
There are no sexual situations and only minor cursing.
The editing is poor. The plot and writing deserve better.
Some sentence structures need reorganization.
Character development is excellent
Details are adequate
Thorough research is apparent
The plot is fresh and captivating
The author’s writing style is exceptional.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Outside Forces Days of Reckoning
R E Swirsky
Mystery, Detective, Thriller, Suspense
125,000 Words
No. 17, 2019
Rating 4.0 out of 5.0
Posted 6/28/2019
Tall and scrawny, eighteen year old, Michael Crowder finally has a girlfriend. But Lucy also has another boyfriend. Michael hides under Lucy's bed when she is abducted, and that heinous act leads to Michael's family being dragged into a series of nightmarish murder schemes.
The plot revolves around a secret vigilante organization named the Order; they were formed to correct the errors of an imperfect justice system. Toward the end, we learn the Order has run off the tracks and the leadership isn't the high minded group it started out to be.
Outside Forces is an excellent story, full of mystery and suspense. Conflict, intrigue, thrills, and unexpected twist abound.
The large cast of characters is described well and develops over the course of the story. Their intimate secrets keep popping out on all fronts.
There are evil antagonists galore to keep the reader guessing as to what is coming next and who will be impacted.
The pace is fast with multiple deceptions being played out on several sides.
To complicate matters further, Michael has suffered since childhood with a condition that would make his testimony to the police unbelievable and make him appear guilty.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that keeps open the option of a follow up story.
Editing, as usual, is the downfall preventing this story from being a perfect 5.0. While certainly not awful, there are enough missing, extra, and misspelled words to be irritating. Several sentence structures were clumsy causing one dialog to be difficult to pinpoint who was speaking.
Outside Forces receives a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
R E Swirsky
Mystery, Detective, Thriller, Suspense
125,000 Words
No. 17, 2019
Rating 4.0 out of 5.0
Posted 6/28/2019
Tall and scrawny, eighteen year old, Michael Crowder finally has a girlfriend. But Lucy also has another boyfriend. Michael hides under Lucy's bed when she is abducted, and that heinous act leads to Michael's family being dragged into a series of nightmarish murder schemes.
The plot revolves around a secret vigilante organization named the Order; they were formed to correct the errors of an imperfect justice system. Toward the end, we learn the Order has run off the tracks and the leadership isn't the high minded group it started out to be.
Outside Forces is an excellent story, full of mystery and suspense. Conflict, intrigue, thrills, and unexpected twist abound.
The large cast of characters is described well and develops over the course of the story. Their intimate secrets keep popping out on all fronts.
There are evil antagonists galore to keep the reader guessing as to what is coming next and who will be impacted.
The pace is fast with multiple deceptions being played out on several sides.
To complicate matters further, Michael has suffered since childhood with a condition that would make his testimony to the police unbelievable and make him appear guilty.
The story ends in a cliffhanger that keeps open the option of a follow up story.
Editing, as usual, is the downfall preventing this story from being a perfect 5.0. While certainly not awful, there are enough missing, extra, and misspelled words to be irritating. Several sentence structures were clumsy causing one dialog to be difficult to pinpoint who was speaking.
Outside Forces receives a strong 4.0 out of 5.0.
This is an unsolicited review of a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
