Title – The Wrong Dame
Author – David Lee Dambrosio
Genre – Mystery, Thriller, Crime Noir
Word Count 87,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 11/25/2022
No. – 50-2022
My Impressions: 1949 Cleveland, Ohio, pinstriped suits, gangsters, a moll, true love.
Main Characters:
Harry Hamm – tough P.I.
Addie – Harry's secretary then girlfriend.
Earl Griggs – P.I. and Harry's best friend.
Harry, Earl and two other buddies who served in WWII in Europe start a detective agency after the war.
Harry is the tough guy and Earl is the thinker/planner. The other partners become involved with 'The Wrong Dame' who has stolen money and record ledgers from the son of a local gang leader. Those two partners are murdered and Vera is captured and tortured by the gangsters.
The story then revolves around the gangsters trying to get their property back and Vera and Earl conniving to increase their wealth by selling the ledgers back to the gangsters.
Harry and Addie are romantically involved and find themselves forced to be middle men to broker a deal between the thieves and the gangsters in order to stay alive.
The Wrong Dame is a bit tongue in cheek. If you can work around that it's an enjoyable story with interesting characters.
The action is fast, frequent and deadly with high body counts.
The editing, sentence structure and character descriptions are well done.
The plot is fast paced and interesting.
Details are sparse for readers who want to know how actions came to be instead of them simply happening.
The writing style is reminiscent of the forties and fifties noir stories.
There is cursing and sexual inuendo in the story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – David Lee Dambrosio
Genre – Mystery, Thriller, Crime Noir
Word Count 87,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 11/25/2022
No. – 50-2022
My Impressions: 1949 Cleveland, Ohio, pinstriped suits, gangsters, a moll, true love.
Main Characters:
Harry Hamm – tough P.I.
Addie – Harry's secretary then girlfriend.
Earl Griggs – P.I. and Harry's best friend.
Harry, Earl and two other buddies who served in WWII in Europe start a detective agency after the war.
Harry is the tough guy and Earl is the thinker/planner. The other partners become involved with 'The Wrong Dame' who has stolen money and record ledgers from the son of a local gang leader. Those two partners are murdered and Vera is captured and tortured by the gangsters.
The story then revolves around the gangsters trying to get their property back and Vera and Earl conniving to increase their wealth by selling the ledgers back to the gangsters.
Harry and Addie are romantically involved and find themselves forced to be middle men to broker a deal between the thieves and the gangsters in order to stay alive.
The Wrong Dame is a bit tongue in cheek. If you can work around that it's an enjoyable story with interesting characters.
The action is fast, frequent and deadly with high body counts.
The editing, sentence structure and character descriptions are well done.
The plot is fast paced and interesting.
Details are sparse for readers who want to know how actions came to be instead of them simply happening.
The writing style is reminiscent of the forties and fifties noir stories.
There is cursing and sexual inuendo in the story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Succubus
Author – Regis P. Sheehan
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
53,700 Words
Rating 5 stars our of 5
Posted 11/18/2022
No. – 49/2022
My Impressions: 2003, NK border, international espionage, nuclear scientist extraction, good action
Main Characters:
Michael Paul Medved – Special Ops.
Bear – Special ops, working with Medved
Succubus is wide ranging with many legs. It has action in Italy, Iraq, China and North Korea. Many support characters pass through and disappear. Paul Medved and his partner Bear are the primary agents who set in motion the plan they are charged with.
The plot builds to the primary operation, the extraction of a nuclear scientist wanting to defect from North Korea. The three-person team involved directly in entering China and then North Korea provide the conflict and intensity that carries that part of the plot.
The editing and sentence structure are good, not perfect but good, and character development is excellent for the several main characters.
The plot is excellent and abundant details enhance the narrative.
I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Regis P. Sheehan
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
53,700 Words
Rating 5 stars our of 5
Posted 11/18/2022
No. – 49/2022
My Impressions: 2003, NK border, international espionage, nuclear scientist extraction, good action
Main Characters:
Michael Paul Medved – Special Ops.
Bear – Special ops, working with Medved
Succubus is wide ranging with many legs. It has action in Italy, Iraq, China and North Korea. Many support characters pass through and disappear. Paul Medved and his partner Bear are the primary agents who set in motion the plan they are charged with.
The plot builds to the primary operation, the extraction of a nuclear scientist wanting to defect from North Korea. The three-person team involved directly in entering China and then North Korea provide the conflict and intensity that carries that part of the plot.
The editing and sentence structure are good, not perfect but good, and character development is excellent for the several main characters.
The plot is excellent and abundant details enhance the narrative.
I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – High Treason
Author – Peter Vielhaber
Genre – Thriller, War, Political Intrugue
Word Count 97,800
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 11/6/2022
No. 48 - 2022
My Impressions: violent, enthralling, well though out, good and evil characters, political corruption, vengeance
Main Characters:
Brian Gray – ex-soldier with Delta Force and now in the CIA.
Mark Kelly – ex-soldier and now with the CIA.
Michael Rogers – United States Senator who wants to be the next US President.
Craig Piper – CIA Director
Jonathan Hillsdale – Wealthy mover and shaker in politics.
High Treason is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. Brian Gray and his four man team are assigned a snatch and grab or assassinate operation in Syria. Descriptions of the abject horror inflicted on the citizens are detailed and thought provoking. The team accomplishes its mission and captures a high-ranking terrorist leader. But there is a high price paid by the team. After his return to the US Brian Gray learns he and his team were caught up in a bizarre plot originating back in Washington D.C.
Three men plan to throw the U.S. government into chaos for their own personal gain. Their diabolical method cost the lives of thousands of US Government employees and the exposure of many CIA personnel.
The plot is well thought out and action packed. The descriptions are a bit gruesome but realistic.
The editing and sentence structure are far above average.
Character development is exceptional for the good characters and the villains. And the villains are self-serving maniacs.
The plot is fast moving and sweeps the reader along at a fast pace.
Details are abundant and in-depth.
Research is evident in the workings of the CIA operations and structure.
The writing style is thought provoking and fast paced.
I thoroughly enjoyed High Treason and highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Peter Vielhaber
Genre – Thriller, War, Political Intrugue
Word Count 97,800
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 11/6/2022
No. 48 - 2022
My Impressions: violent, enthralling, well though out, good and evil characters, political corruption, vengeance
Main Characters:
Brian Gray – ex-soldier with Delta Force and now in the CIA.
Mark Kelly – ex-soldier and now with the CIA.
Michael Rogers – United States Senator who wants to be the next US President.
Craig Piper – CIA Director
Jonathan Hillsdale – Wealthy mover and shaker in politics.
High Treason is one of the best novels I've read in a long time. Brian Gray and his four man team are assigned a snatch and grab or assassinate operation in Syria. Descriptions of the abject horror inflicted on the citizens are detailed and thought provoking. The team accomplishes its mission and captures a high-ranking terrorist leader. But there is a high price paid by the team. After his return to the US Brian Gray learns he and his team were caught up in a bizarre plot originating back in Washington D.C.
Three men plan to throw the U.S. government into chaos for their own personal gain. Their diabolical method cost the lives of thousands of US Government employees and the exposure of many CIA personnel.
The plot is well thought out and action packed. The descriptions are a bit gruesome but realistic.
The editing and sentence structure are far above average.
Character development is exceptional for the good characters and the villains. And the villains are self-serving maniacs.
The plot is fast moving and sweeps the reader along at a fast pace.
Details are abundant and in-depth.
Research is evident in the workings of the CIA operations and structure.
The writing style is thought provoking and fast paced.
I thoroughly enjoyed High Treason and highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Hard Target
Author – Bill Runner
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 72,800
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 44 - 2022
Posted 10/28/2022
My Impressions: Exciting, action filled, tough as nails
Main Characters:
Axel Blaze – Tough guy out for justice
Zoey Clark – Beautiful police officer
Mason Biggs – Hacker who gets into files the owner will kill for
Zeke Adkins – Another proficient good guy who likes to fight
Dirk Reynolds – Pedophile…need I say more?
Axel is on vacation in Kentucky and stumbles onto an ambush at a gas station along a backroad. He strides into battle mode and decimates the ex-military mercenaries. A cop is wounded and his novice partner is in over her head. They had been transporting a young man accused of murder and were badly outnumbered when they were isolated at the isolated gas station. And then along came long, lean, lanky, slow walkin, slow talkin, hard fightin Axel Blaze.
Mason Biggs got evidence against several pedophiles one of whom owns a company supplying mercenaries for hire. The hardened killers are large in numbers but no match for ex-special forces and ex-US Marshall Blaze. During the action, Axel must have knocked out at least 37 bad guys with a single punch to each head or banged their heads against anything harder than their skulls.
The action is fast paced and frequent until the end where Axel and Zeke team up to bring the perps to justice.
The editing and sentence structure are good
Character Development is good enough for the main characters and adequate for supporting characters.
Details and research are adequate for the story dominated by violent action.
The plot is standard kick butt action hero who you know is going to win.
The writing style is fast and quickly jumps from one action sequence to the next.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Bill Runner
Genre – Thriller
Word Count - 72,800
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 44 - 2022
Posted 10/28/2022
My Impressions: Exciting, action filled, tough as nails
Main Characters:
Axel Blaze – Tough guy out for justice
Zoey Clark – Beautiful police officer
Mason Biggs – Hacker who gets into files the owner will kill for
Zeke Adkins – Another proficient good guy who likes to fight
Dirk Reynolds – Pedophile…need I say more?
Axel is on vacation in Kentucky and stumbles onto an ambush at a gas station along a backroad. He strides into battle mode and decimates the ex-military mercenaries. A cop is wounded and his novice partner is in over her head. They had been transporting a young man accused of murder and were badly outnumbered when they were isolated at the isolated gas station. And then along came long, lean, lanky, slow walkin, slow talkin, hard fightin Axel Blaze.
Mason Biggs got evidence against several pedophiles one of whom owns a company supplying mercenaries for hire. The hardened killers are large in numbers but no match for ex-special forces and ex-US Marshall Blaze. During the action, Axel must have knocked out at least 37 bad guys with a single punch to each head or banged their heads against anything harder than their skulls.
The action is fast paced and frequent until the end where Axel and Zeke team up to bring the perps to justice.
The editing and sentence structure are good
Character Development is good enough for the main characters and adequate for supporting characters.
Details and research are adequate for the story dominated by violent action.
The plot is standard kick butt action hero who you know is going to win.
The writing style is fast and quickly jumps from one action sequence to the next.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – From Capitalism to Socialism or Worse
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Politics
Word Count - 140,000
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 43 - 2022
Posted 10/22/2022
My Impressions: Excellent disclosures backed up with facts and credible opinions.
This political treatise is well put together and covers many of todays political issues from a decidedly conservative viewpoint. The authors opinions are blunt and well stated with plenty of information to support them. He calls the Democrats in charge of the major liberal blue states and large metropolitan cities out for the high crime rates, defunding the police, supporting no cash bail, and soft on crime lack of enforcement of existing laws.
Slavery, racism, abortion, climate change, and fossil fuel elimination are extensively covered, and many little-known facts are presented.
Details of the January 6, 2021, Capital Building Riot and the 2020 presidential election are thoroughly exposed with well documented facts and opinions.
The longest chapter discussed the accomplishments of President Donald Trump vs. Joseph Biden.
But the most though provoking chapter was mankind’s future with the advancing growth of robotic and artificial intelligence. The information presented on those subjects is chilling.
The editing and sentence structure are professionally done.
Details and research are in depth and exemplary.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Politics
Word Count - 140,000
Rating – Five stars out of five
No. 43 - 2022
Posted 10/22/2022
My Impressions: Excellent disclosures backed up with facts and credible opinions.
This political treatise is well put together and covers many of todays political issues from a decidedly conservative viewpoint. The authors opinions are blunt and well stated with plenty of information to support them. He calls the Democrats in charge of the major liberal blue states and large metropolitan cities out for the high crime rates, defunding the police, supporting no cash bail, and soft on crime lack of enforcement of existing laws.
Slavery, racism, abortion, climate change, and fossil fuel elimination are extensively covered, and many little-known facts are presented.
Details of the January 6, 2021, Capital Building Riot and the 2020 presidential election are thoroughly exposed with well documented facts and opinions.
The longest chapter discussed the accomplishments of President Donald Trump vs. Joseph Biden.
But the most though provoking chapter was mankind’s future with the advancing growth of robotic and artificial intelligence. The information presented on those subjects is chilling.
The editing and sentence structure are professionally done.
Details and research are in depth and exemplary.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Deadly Frost
Author – Terry Shipley
Genre – Thriller
101,000 Words
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 10/7/2022
No. 47 - 2022
My Impressions: Frost's portion; humorous around his family, forced to be a vigilante.
DAZ's portion: dangerous psychopath, gruesome, intelligent sicko.
Main Characters:
Talus Drake Frost – Air Force Captain, 6' 190 lb, 962 AWACS unit at Elmendorf A.F.B. Alaska
David Allen Zane – Serial killer known as DAZ, Military Police Sargent until he is kicked out of the Air Force.
Clint Zane – Serial Killer's brother
Many additional characters add to the diverse appeal of this novel.
Deadly Frost has a plot to make a good story and lives up to its potential. The characters are interesting, and a bit over the top. Frost’s family members bring light hearted humor, and the bad guy is diabolical. The contrast was vivid and displayed the psychotic nature of the serial killer against average humans.
The story is about a big, tough, intelligent serial killer who enjoys frightening, torturing, and killing young women. Frost gets involved when he stops the abduction of a young woman on the air base in Alaska. Afterwards, DAZ hates Frost for interfering in his perverse game and pledges to get even. From there the story is full of well written action. DAZ continues to abduct, torture, and murder young women while his brother covers for him. Frost has more interaction when his family members are threatened and attacked, and he vows to bring the huge, muscular serial killer down.
There are many characters I quickly became fond of and looked forward to their interaction with Frost.
A sub-character I particularly liked had a minor role at the end when he, Preacher, interacted with Clint Zane.
The story was interesting, and I recommend it highly.
The prose has been professionally edited and is easy to read and enjoy.
Sentence structures flow easily and makes sense.
The writing style is clean and well organized.
Serious research is evident throughout the story.
The plot explores the conflict between a strong-willed honorable man and a mean, diabolical serial rapist murderer.
There is frequent cursing and strong, torturous sex scenes. The story is not for Snowflakes
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews
Author – Terry Shipley
Genre – Thriller
101,000 Words
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 10/7/2022
No. 47 - 2022
My Impressions: Frost's portion; humorous around his family, forced to be a vigilante.
DAZ's portion: dangerous psychopath, gruesome, intelligent sicko.
Main Characters:
Talus Drake Frost – Air Force Captain, 6' 190 lb, 962 AWACS unit at Elmendorf A.F.B. Alaska
David Allen Zane – Serial killer known as DAZ, Military Police Sargent until he is kicked out of the Air Force.
Clint Zane – Serial Killer's brother
Many additional characters add to the diverse appeal of this novel.
Deadly Frost has a plot to make a good story and lives up to its potential. The characters are interesting, and a bit over the top. Frost’s family members bring light hearted humor, and the bad guy is diabolical. The contrast was vivid and displayed the psychotic nature of the serial killer against average humans.
The story is about a big, tough, intelligent serial killer who enjoys frightening, torturing, and killing young women. Frost gets involved when he stops the abduction of a young woman on the air base in Alaska. Afterwards, DAZ hates Frost for interfering in his perverse game and pledges to get even. From there the story is full of well written action. DAZ continues to abduct, torture, and murder young women while his brother covers for him. Frost has more interaction when his family members are threatened and attacked, and he vows to bring the huge, muscular serial killer down.
There are many characters I quickly became fond of and looked forward to their interaction with Frost.
A sub-character I particularly liked had a minor role at the end when he, Preacher, interacted with Clint Zane.
The story was interesting, and I recommend it highly.
The prose has been professionally edited and is easy to read and enjoy.
Sentence structures flow easily and makes sense.
The writing style is clean and well organized.
Serious research is evident throughout the story.
The plot explores the conflict between a strong-willed honorable man and a mean, diabolical serial rapist murderer.
There is frequent cursing and strong, torturous sex scenes. The story is not for Snowflakes
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews
Title – Right to Kill
Author – John Barlow
Genre – Crime Thriller/Murder Mystery
Word Count - 80,000
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 42 - 2022
Posted 10/1/2022
My Impressions: Slow but steady, lots of self-introspection, masterful manipulation of the reader
Main Characters:
Detective Joe Romano – middle age, past his peak, a loner
Detective Rita Scannon – tough, competent, brave but not foolish
Craig Shaw & Jason Beverage – dope dealing scumbags
Joe Romano is a detective sergeant in Leeds, England, with an ex-career, ex-wife and a son away at university. His career stumbled after a stint in France with Interpol and his wife divorcing him for a Frenchman. He spends most of his day on self-introspection while.slogging through mundane assignments chasing missing persons and minor cases no one cares about. Then one of his missing persons is found in his mother’s burned car after he was brutally murdered in a most unusual way. That case thrusts Joe into the role of lead detective.
While interrogating Craig Shaw’s mother for a clue as to why her only son was killed, he feels she is holding information back. He draws close to her as he searches his heart for how he would feel if his only son, Sam, died. Long periods of internal reflection ensue as he and Rita conduct an investigation quickly expanded by the death of another young man, this time a nineteen-year-old low life drug dealer, rapist, thief.
Several prime suspects emerge, and Joe follows up with one of several women he meets and is attracted to.
When the murderer finally confesses and is apprehend, the plot takes another turn and is off and running again.
The editing & sentence structure are professional grade.
Character development is thorough and almost overdone with Joe
Details and research paint a vivid picture of English countryside and people
The plot is detailed and has a surprise in-store, so pay attention.
The writing style is typically slow but heavily detailed English writing. I liked it.
The story has a lot of English terms and slang I didn't know: like busker and mangle.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John Barlow
Genre – Crime Thriller/Murder Mystery
Word Count - 80,000
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 42 - 2022
Posted 10/1/2022
My Impressions: Slow but steady, lots of self-introspection, masterful manipulation of the reader
Main Characters:
Detective Joe Romano – middle age, past his peak, a loner
Detective Rita Scannon – tough, competent, brave but not foolish
Craig Shaw & Jason Beverage – dope dealing scumbags
Joe Romano is a detective sergeant in Leeds, England, with an ex-career, ex-wife and a son away at university. His career stumbled after a stint in France with Interpol and his wife divorcing him for a Frenchman. He spends most of his day on self-introspection while.slogging through mundane assignments chasing missing persons and minor cases no one cares about. Then one of his missing persons is found in his mother’s burned car after he was brutally murdered in a most unusual way. That case thrusts Joe into the role of lead detective.
While interrogating Craig Shaw’s mother for a clue as to why her only son was killed, he feels she is holding information back. He draws close to her as he searches his heart for how he would feel if his only son, Sam, died. Long periods of internal reflection ensue as he and Rita conduct an investigation quickly expanded by the death of another young man, this time a nineteen-year-old low life drug dealer, rapist, thief.
Several prime suspects emerge, and Joe follows up with one of several women he meets and is attracted to.
When the murderer finally confesses and is apprehend, the plot takes another turn and is off and running again.
The editing & sentence structure are professional grade.
Character development is thorough and almost overdone with Joe
Details and research paint a vivid picture of English countryside and people
The plot is detailed and has a surprise in-store, so pay attention.
The writing style is typically slow but heavily detailed English writing. I liked it.
The story has a lot of English terms and slang I didn't know: like busker and mangle.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Team Avenging Angel
Author – Charles S. Isaacs
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count - 101,000
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 41 - 2022
Posted 9/23/2022
My Impressions: Violent vigilante justice dispensed mainly by women.
Main Characters:
Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Monroe – Twenty-five Y.O.
Mike Borelli – Private Eye- ex-cop. 35
Dante Washington – Cassie’s mentor, physical instructor.
Amy Dawson and Rita – Team members
Jennifer Scott – Team Member
Jerry O’Bannon - Detective
Pete Fanelli – Detective
Tom Whitman – Psychopathic killer
Many more support characters and antagonist.
1976 Brooklyn, New York.
Cassie was born in the south and was raped by three Ku Klux Klansmen when she was twelve. Her father moved her to New York City where she excelled in learning martial arts. After going south for a short spell for vigilante justice she began to ambush muggers, rapist, and killers preying on women. She met and fell in love with P.I. Mike Borelli, a tough ex-cop. Mike is curious why two detectives, O’Bannon and Fanelli keep trying to pin the murder of a serial killer on him.
The story follows the Avenging Angel team, four women and two men, through one tough scrape after another as they dispense their version of justice. The story is violent and mostly about individuals attacking single women jogging in parks.
While practicing for a tough role she is about to engage in Cassie learns inner fears and values deep within herself. When she is captured by seven killer thugs and is being tortured for information, the rest of the team and reinforcements arrive to save her.
I enjoyed this story and recommend it for readers who like rough, violent characters who are really heroes with a heart. There is infrequent cursing and talk of sex but nothing graphic.
The editing & sentence structure are mostly good.
Character development is detailed and consistent.
Details & research are adequate where needed.
The plot is involved and complex as the Team goes after criminals
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Charles S. Isaacs
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count - 101,000
Rating – 5 stars out of 5
No. 41 - 2022
Posted 9/23/2022
My Impressions: Violent vigilante justice dispensed mainly by women.
Main Characters:
Cassandra ‘Cassie’ Monroe – Twenty-five Y.O.
Mike Borelli – Private Eye- ex-cop. 35
Dante Washington – Cassie’s mentor, physical instructor.
Amy Dawson and Rita – Team members
Jennifer Scott – Team Member
Jerry O’Bannon - Detective
Pete Fanelli – Detective
Tom Whitman – Psychopathic killer
Many more support characters and antagonist.
1976 Brooklyn, New York.
Cassie was born in the south and was raped by three Ku Klux Klansmen when she was twelve. Her father moved her to New York City where she excelled in learning martial arts. After going south for a short spell for vigilante justice she began to ambush muggers, rapist, and killers preying on women. She met and fell in love with P.I. Mike Borelli, a tough ex-cop. Mike is curious why two detectives, O’Bannon and Fanelli keep trying to pin the murder of a serial killer on him.
The story follows the Avenging Angel team, four women and two men, through one tough scrape after another as they dispense their version of justice. The story is violent and mostly about individuals attacking single women jogging in parks.
While practicing for a tough role she is about to engage in Cassie learns inner fears and values deep within herself. When she is captured by seven killer thugs and is being tortured for information, the rest of the team and reinforcements arrive to save her.
I enjoyed this story and recommend it for readers who like rough, violent characters who are really heroes with a heart. There is infrequent cursing and talk of sex but nothing graphic.
The editing & sentence structure are mostly good.
Character development is detailed and consistent.
Details & research are adequate where needed.
The plot is involved and complex as the Team goes after criminals
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Murderer's Wife
Author – Daralyse Lyons
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
184 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 9/16/2022/2018
No 40-2022
My Impressions: Gruesome, love story, unexpected twist at the end.
Main Characters:
Laura Cutty – The Murder's Wife.
Thomas Cutty – The murderer.
Detective Condoleezza Barge – homicide detective.
Thomas and Laura Cutty are an outstandingly attractive couple; she a petite' beautiful blonde and he a tall, muscular and ruggedly handsome male animal. They are lovers in the purest sense of the word.
Laura Cutty knows her husband is a serial murderer and supports him in the acts. Not because she approves of his murdering ways, but because she loves him and accept he is doing good things even if society would not agree. She has an untenable relationship with her two living parents; she should ask Thomas to deal with them but doesn't.
Thomas Cutty is a man driven to kill. but he is selective in choosing his victims. They must be abusive to their wives or children to draw his attention. Simply cheating on a wife is not enough reason for them to die. He lived in and abusive household and saw his mother beaten daily until he took action.
Of course, after many years of murdering and a string of twenty plus vigilante killings it has to come to a head.
Enter Detective Barge and her partner. There is no evidence pointing to the serial killer, but during her investigation she meets Thomas. She is infatuated with him and makes excuses to be near him.
The ending is imaginative and was a total surprise.
The overall editing of The Murderer's Wife is exceptional.
Character development is detailed and paints a clear picture of individual's strengths and weaknesses.
The details in the story are adequate.
The plot is witty and original.
The writing style is crisp and displays the characters emotions well.
There are mildly detailed sexual situations, but they're not graphic.
I enjoyed The Murder's Wife and highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Daralyse Lyons
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
184 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 9/16/2022/2018
No 40-2022
My Impressions: Gruesome, love story, unexpected twist at the end.
Main Characters:
Laura Cutty – The Murder's Wife.
Thomas Cutty – The murderer.
Detective Condoleezza Barge – homicide detective.
Thomas and Laura Cutty are an outstandingly attractive couple; she a petite' beautiful blonde and he a tall, muscular and ruggedly handsome male animal. They are lovers in the purest sense of the word.
Laura Cutty knows her husband is a serial murderer and supports him in the acts. Not because she approves of his murdering ways, but because she loves him and accept he is doing good things even if society would not agree. She has an untenable relationship with her two living parents; she should ask Thomas to deal with them but doesn't.
Thomas Cutty is a man driven to kill. but he is selective in choosing his victims. They must be abusive to their wives or children to draw his attention. Simply cheating on a wife is not enough reason for them to die. He lived in and abusive household and saw his mother beaten daily until he took action.
Of course, after many years of murdering and a string of twenty plus vigilante killings it has to come to a head.
Enter Detective Barge and her partner. There is no evidence pointing to the serial killer, but during her investigation she meets Thomas. She is infatuated with him and makes excuses to be near him.
The ending is imaginative and was a total surprise.
The overall editing of The Murderer's Wife is exceptional.
Character development is detailed and paints a clear picture of individual's strengths and weaknesses.
The details in the story are adequate.
The plot is witty and original.
The writing style is crisp and displays the characters emotions well.
There are mildly detailed sexual situations, but they're not graphic.
I enjoyed The Murder's Wife and highly recommend it.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Deadly Odds 5.0
Author – Allen Wyler
Genre – Techno Thriller
Word Count - 78,000
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 34 –2022
Posted 9/9/2022
My Impressions: Arnold, a nerdy geek who speaks baby talk to his dog and girlfriend, well written.
Main Characters:
Arnold Gold – IT geek
Palmer Davidson – Defense Lawyer
Rachel Weinstein – Arnold’s girlfriend
Carlos Lopez – Victim
Ramesh Singh – Accomplished hacker, antagonist
Chance – Arnold’s dog
Arnold and Rachel have issues because he has IT offices in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Seattle, Washington. She doesn’t want him to be away from Hawaii overnight. He’s a wimp and she is a whiner. He speaks ‘baby talk’ to his dog and his girlfriend. I felt they should divorce before considering marriage.
Arnold signs onto a job to uncover evidence to prove Palmer Davidson’s client, Carlos Lopez, is innocent of crimes he is accused of.
Quickly, Arnold draws the ire of the hacker framing Carlos, and he and his business are targeted in what becomes a war of high-level computer geeks.
When hacker Ramesh Singh breaks into Arnold’s home, Chance attacks and bites him on the arm providing evidence that Ramesh is behind framing Carlos for the crimes he didn’t commit.
If readers are versed on computer equipment and hacking, they should love this story.
The editing and sentence structure are good except for missing and misspelled words and comma issues scattered throughout.
Character Development is good for all main characters.
Details and research are full of technical computer terms
The plot is unusual and unfolds at a slow pace as Arnold figures out who the antagonist is.
There is occasional hardcore cursing but no graphic sex.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Allen Wyler
Genre – Techno Thriller
Word Count - 78,000
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 34 –2022
Posted 9/9/2022
My Impressions: Arnold, a nerdy geek who speaks baby talk to his dog and girlfriend, well written.
Main Characters:
Arnold Gold – IT geek
Palmer Davidson – Defense Lawyer
Rachel Weinstein – Arnold’s girlfriend
Carlos Lopez – Victim
Ramesh Singh – Accomplished hacker, antagonist
Chance – Arnold’s dog
Arnold and Rachel have issues because he has IT offices in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Seattle, Washington. She doesn’t want him to be away from Hawaii overnight. He’s a wimp and she is a whiner. He speaks ‘baby talk’ to his dog and his girlfriend. I felt they should divorce before considering marriage.
Arnold signs onto a job to uncover evidence to prove Palmer Davidson’s client, Carlos Lopez, is innocent of crimes he is accused of.
Quickly, Arnold draws the ire of the hacker framing Carlos, and he and his business are targeted in what becomes a war of high-level computer geeks.
When hacker Ramesh Singh breaks into Arnold’s home, Chance attacks and bites him on the arm providing evidence that Ramesh is behind framing Carlos for the crimes he didn’t commit.
If readers are versed on computer equipment and hacking, they should love this story.
The editing and sentence structure are good except for missing and misspelled words and comma issues scattered throughout.
Character Development is good for all main characters.
Details and research are full of technical computer terms
The plot is unusual and unfolds at a slow pace as Arnold figures out who the antagonist is.
There is occasional hardcore cursing but no graphic sex.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – In Search of Valor
Author – Gary Corbin
Genre – Mystery/Amateur Sleuth
Word Count - 33,000
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 33 - 2022
Posted 9/1/2022
My Impressions: suspenseful, well written, fresh plot
Main Characters:
Valory Dawes – College criminal studies student 18 Y.O.
Rhonda LeMieux – Valory’s college friend, unmarried mother, Jamaican
Jada – 18 month old kidnapped infant.
Tanisha Jordan – Detective, 35 Y.O.
Marty Rizzo – Jada’s father.
Issac Lewis – Antagonist.
Valory Dawes aims to become a police officer after college. She and Rhonda team up for a class project and meet one morning to discuss it. Rhonda is late picking Jada up from childcare where she learns her mother has already picked the baby up; but there’s a problem. Rhonda’s mother died a year ago. Detective Jordan enters and takes the lead in the disappearance. In fits of anger and terror, Rhonda lashes out at everyone; she suspects Jada’s father of staging the abduction but has no proof.
Finally, under harsh questioning, she remembers another man she dated only once several months ago. The story picks up speed then and Valory agrees to become bait to draw the kidnapper into the open after she caught him stalking her. That goes awry and she is captured by the psychopath.
In Search of Valor is an intense, interesting read, and I recommend it.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Character Development is good for the main characters.
Details and research are adequate.
The plot has a fresh twist with a kidnapping for child trafficking.
Tanisha must have gotten a ‘sad’ one hour paint job because her rust colored Dodge suddenly turned Blue.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Gary Corbin
Genre – Mystery/Amateur Sleuth
Word Count - 33,000
Rating – 4 stars out of 5
No. 33 - 2022
Posted 9/1/2022
My Impressions: suspenseful, well written, fresh plot
Main Characters:
Valory Dawes – College criminal studies student 18 Y.O.
Rhonda LeMieux – Valory’s college friend, unmarried mother, Jamaican
Jada – 18 month old kidnapped infant.
Tanisha Jordan – Detective, 35 Y.O.
Marty Rizzo – Jada’s father.
Issac Lewis – Antagonist.
Valory Dawes aims to become a police officer after college. She and Rhonda team up for a class project and meet one morning to discuss it. Rhonda is late picking Jada up from childcare where she learns her mother has already picked the baby up; but there’s a problem. Rhonda’s mother died a year ago. Detective Jordan enters and takes the lead in the disappearance. In fits of anger and terror, Rhonda lashes out at everyone; she suspects Jada’s father of staging the abduction but has no proof.
Finally, under harsh questioning, she remembers another man she dated only once several months ago. The story picks up speed then and Valory agrees to become bait to draw the kidnapper into the open after she caught him stalking her. That goes awry and she is captured by the psychopath.
In Search of Valor is an intense, interesting read, and I recommend it.
The editing and sentence structure are good.
Character Development is good for the main characters.
Details and research are adequate.
The plot has a fresh twist with a kidnapping for child trafficking.
Tanisha must have gotten a ‘sad’ one hour paint job because her rust colored Dodge suddenly turned Blue.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Alicanto
Author – Amadeo Alcacer
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Word Count – 60,300
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 8/27/2022
No. 37 - 2022
My Impressions: Dark, gritty, violent, two major plot surprises.
Main Characters:
Detective Diego Alandia – Chilean detective loaned to Argentina to chase the Alicanto.
The Alicanto – a psychopathic serial killer who murders and mutilates beautiful young women.
Vera Nalcotinez - Newspaper reporter in Buenos Aries, Argentina
Captain Marquez Pedro - Head of the Alicanto investigation in Buenos Aries.
Detective Ivo Matich – Diego's partner and best friend.
Colonel Daniel Anuncio – Diego's superior officer and eventual father-in-law.
The story moves between Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aries, Argentina.
The tone of the story is dark and gritty.
As a young army recruit, Diego Alandia served in the Chilean army during the reign of General Augusto Pionochet. He had the job of interrogating suspected enemies of the regime using torture if necessary. Having reservations over the treatment of some victims, he balked at killing a man and was eventually kicked out of the army. His future father-in-law, Lieutenant Daniel Anuncio secured Diego a job as a policeman in Santiago. He was good at the job and rose to the position of detective. But his dark past made him an emotional wreck.
After working on the case of two prostitutes who were murdered and mutilated, he was requested by the Argentinean police to assist with the serial killing of young women that were similar to those he and Ivo worked.
Diego is a crooked cop who steals money, drinks excessively and cheats on his wife with prostitutes.
The Alicanto is a Chilean psychopath with deep, dark secrets instilled about the same time Diego was in the army.
His early life was a horror story that no twelve-year-old child should have been forced to endure.
Editing of this story is nearly perfect and sentence structure is good considering the main character is Chilean and speaks broken English.
Development of the main characters is thorough. A clear picture is painted of each main player
Details are broad brushed with few specifics. But they are enough to carry the story.
Research of the Chilean regime during the span of the story is evident.
The plot is dark, gritty, twisted and full of surprises.
The writing style is a bit wordy due to the translation to English and relies on the emotional aspect of the characters which is presented in great detail.
The story contains cursing, talk of torture, and hints of sexual intercourse. None of these are graphic.
Diego Alandia's portion of the Alicanto is presented as a person who's first language is Spanish speaking in non-native English. The Alicanto's portion is much easier to follow.
I was swept up in The Alicanto and highly recommend it. But be assured it is not your typical crime story; it provides insight into two different characters with surprising similarities.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Amadeo Alcacer
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Word Count – 60,300
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 8/27/2022
No. 37 - 2022
My Impressions: Dark, gritty, violent, two major plot surprises.
Main Characters:
Detective Diego Alandia – Chilean detective loaned to Argentina to chase the Alicanto.
The Alicanto – a psychopathic serial killer who murders and mutilates beautiful young women.
Vera Nalcotinez - Newspaper reporter in Buenos Aries, Argentina
Captain Marquez Pedro - Head of the Alicanto investigation in Buenos Aries.
Detective Ivo Matich – Diego's partner and best friend.
Colonel Daniel Anuncio – Diego's superior officer and eventual father-in-law.
The story moves between Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aries, Argentina.
The tone of the story is dark and gritty.
As a young army recruit, Diego Alandia served in the Chilean army during the reign of General Augusto Pionochet. He had the job of interrogating suspected enemies of the regime using torture if necessary. Having reservations over the treatment of some victims, he balked at killing a man and was eventually kicked out of the army. His future father-in-law, Lieutenant Daniel Anuncio secured Diego a job as a policeman in Santiago. He was good at the job and rose to the position of detective. But his dark past made him an emotional wreck.
After working on the case of two prostitutes who were murdered and mutilated, he was requested by the Argentinean police to assist with the serial killing of young women that were similar to those he and Ivo worked.
Diego is a crooked cop who steals money, drinks excessively and cheats on his wife with prostitutes.
The Alicanto is a Chilean psychopath with deep, dark secrets instilled about the same time Diego was in the army.
His early life was a horror story that no twelve-year-old child should have been forced to endure.
Editing of this story is nearly perfect and sentence structure is good considering the main character is Chilean and speaks broken English.
Development of the main characters is thorough. A clear picture is painted of each main player
Details are broad brushed with few specifics. But they are enough to carry the story.
Research of the Chilean regime during the span of the story is evident.
The plot is dark, gritty, twisted and full of surprises.
The writing style is a bit wordy due to the translation to English and relies on the emotional aspect of the characters which is presented in great detail.
The story contains cursing, talk of torture, and hints of sexual intercourse. None of these are graphic.
Diego Alandia's portion of the Alicanto is presented as a person who's first language is Spanish speaking in non-native English. The Alicanto's portion is much easier to follow.
I was swept up in The Alicanto and highly recommend it. But be assured it is not your typical crime story; it provides insight into two different characters with surprising similarities.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Telltale Tattoo
Author – John L. DeBoer
Genre – Thriller
272 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 8/19/2022
No. 36 - 2022
My Impressions: murder, coverup, infidelity,
Main Characters:
Clay Archer – ex-soldier, detective.
Renee Taggart – Vince Taggart's wife and Clay's girlfriend.
Vince Taggart – ex-soldier, murderer, hedge fund manager running a Ponzi scheme.
Michael Gregory – ex-soldier, Vince's friend.
Nguyen Chinh – Vietnamese child who witnessed his mother's murder.
A murder witnessed by a six-year-old Vietnamese boy becomes his mission in life to find the American soldier who killed his mother. He remembers vividly a unique tattoo on the soldier's arm. The story moves easily between Vietnam, Malaysia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, and Bimini.
Clay Archer is hired by Renee Taggart to gather evidence for her to divorce her wealthy husband, Vince Taggart. Gradually Clay is drawn into a much more serious case when he delves into Vince's war record and then meets Nguyen Chinh.
The main groups involved are the FBI, Mafia thugs and assassins, and Clay Archer.
There is abundant romance with sexual situations but no graphicly detailed hump and pump actions.
The story is a careful and skillful crafting of intrigue and conflict. The character descriptions are detailed and weave a clear picture of each one.
The editing is exemplary. I only found one wrong word used.
The plot is complex with many traps set and escapes made.
The writing style is fast paced and involves characters from good and honest to thieving and murderous.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Telltale Tattoo and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John L. DeBoer
Genre – Thriller
272 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 8/19/2022
No. 36 - 2022
My Impressions: murder, coverup, infidelity,
Main Characters:
Clay Archer – ex-soldier, detective.
Renee Taggart – Vince Taggart's wife and Clay's girlfriend.
Vince Taggart – ex-soldier, murderer, hedge fund manager running a Ponzi scheme.
Michael Gregory – ex-soldier, Vince's friend.
Nguyen Chinh – Vietnamese child who witnessed his mother's murder.
A murder witnessed by a six-year-old Vietnamese boy becomes his mission in life to find the American soldier who killed his mother. He remembers vividly a unique tattoo on the soldier's arm. The story moves easily between Vietnam, Malaysia, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Florida, and Bimini.
Clay Archer is hired by Renee Taggart to gather evidence for her to divorce her wealthy husband, Vince Taggart. Gradually Clay is drawn into a much more serious case when he delves into Vince's war record and then meets Nguyen Chinh.
The main groups involved are the FBI, Mafia thugs and assassins, and Clay Archer.
There is abundant romance with sexual situations but no graphicly detailed hump and pump actions.
The story is a careful and skillful crafting of intrigue and conflict. The character descriptions are detailed and weave a clear picture of each one.
The editing is exemplary. I only found one wrong word used.
The plot is complex with many traps set and escapes made.
The writing style is fast paced and involves characters from good and honest to thieving and murderous.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Telltale Tattoo and highly recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Up and up
Author – Erik Sturm
Genre – Gritty Crime
Words 57,220
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/12/2022
No. 35 - 2022
My Impressions: Grim, harsh, vulgar.
Main Characters:
Rake/Chris – Transforms from nerdy teenager to investment banker.
Helene – Love interest of Rake and Cezek
Cezek – Sociopathic character who rises to be a wealthy property mogul.
Stacie – One of the groups teenaged friends.
Seth – One of the groups teenaged friends.
The story is set in Plumstead and London, England. In addition to the Gritty Crime genre selected by the author, I will add Coming of Age. The teenaged characters hang out together and share or hide their inner secrets and fears. Living close together seems to be the catalyst for their staying together, because they are a diverse group who constantly bickers and derides each other. Rake is the most normal of the group and Cezek is a total oddball with a deadly temper. Helene is an emotional wreck who chases after a man who is emotionally unstable and can't commit to her. Those three are the main characters throughout the story.
After the group separates to moves on to adult jobs, they drift apart and only meet sporadically on whims. When the financial crisis of 2008 hits, the group is impacted in unexpected ways that lead to the story's explosive conclusion.
The editing and sentence structure are exceptionally well done with minor exceptions.
Character Development is good for the three main characters and acceptable for others depending on the importance of their role.
Details are satisfactory.
The plot is unusual but interesting
There are several continuity issues but they are minor.
The story is a bit slow paced at first as the group's relationships are established and individual quirks, weaknesses and dark sides are developed. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to readers not turned off by excessive use of the’ ‘F word and sexual situations.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Erik Sturm
Genre – Gritty Crime
Words 57,220
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/12/2022
No. 35 - 2022
My Impressions: Grim, harsh, vulgar.
Main Characters:
Rake/Chris – Transforms from nerdy teenager to investment banker.
Helene – Love interest of Rake and Cezek
Cezek – Sociopathic character who rises to be a wealthy property mogul.
Stacie – One of the groups teenaged friends.
Seth – One of the groups teenaged friends.
The story is set in Plumstead and London, England. In addition to the Gritty Crime genre selected by the author, I will add Coming of Age. The teenaged characters hang out together and share or hide their inner secrets and fears. Living close together seems to be the catalyst for their staying together, because they are a diverse group who constantly bickers and derides each other. Rake is the most normal of the group and Cezek is a total oddball with a deadly temper. Helene is an emotional wreck who chases after a man who is emotionally unstable and can't commit to her. Those three are the main characters throughout the story.
After the group separates to moves on to adult jobs, they drift apart and only meet sporadically on whims. When the financial crisis of 2008 hits, the group is impacted in unexpected ways that lead to the story's explosive conclusion.
The editing and sentence structure are exceptionally well done with minor exceptions.
Character Development is good for the three main characters and acceptable for others depending on the importance of their role.
Details are satisfactory.
The plot is unusual but interesting
There are several continuity issues but they are minor.
The story is a bit slow paced at first as the group's relationships are established and individual quirks, weaknesses and dark sides are developed. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to readers not turned off by excessive use of the’ ‘F word and sexual situations.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Regardless of the Consequences
Author – Larry D. Lauritzen
Genre – Mystery Thriller
Word Count - 92,000
Rating – Four stars out of five
No. 32 - 2022
Posted 8/5/2022
My Impressions: Insightful tale of Native American living between to societies.
Main Characters:
Lance Tallbear – Native American sheriff’s deputy
Gray Eagle- Apache shaman, grandfather
Tommy Hawk – Young Apache half breed trying to adjust to the White world
Tom Kane – Corrupt CIA agent
Brad Henley – Washed up drunken FBI agent
General Harmon – Corrupt but patriotic string puller.
Sheriff Lance (like a native spear?) Tallbear is pulled into two murders that occurred seventy years ago. The mystery takes him from Arizona to California and involves thievery in Germany’s World War II Nazi government. When Tommy Hawk (tomahawk?) finds an old, crashed DE Havilland DH91 Albatross airplane, circa 1930s, on Arizona’s Superstition Mountain, Tallbear tackles a case seventy years old. After Tommy is caught with jewelry he took from the plane, Tallbear wonders what other secrets the boy might be concealing from him. When the FBI, CIA, and an old, retired army general get involved he has his hands full. Soon people involved in the case start being murdered as Tallbear searches for evidence
CIA agent Thomas Kane requests a drunken burnout FBI agent to assist him to investigate the case he claims is linked to national security. He and Henley served together in the CIA during Desert Storm. Henley transferred to the FBI after that. Tallbear can’t work with the inept and drunk FBI agent Henley, so he uses his shaman skills to dry him out in a Native American ritual.
The story is fast paced, and I recommend it.
The editing and sentence structure need lots of work.
Character development is detailed.
Details and research are full and descriptive
The plot is unique as Tallbear endeavors to trap a killer but is focused on the wrong one.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Larry D. Lauritzen
Genre – Mystery Thriller
Word Count - 92,000
Rating – Four stars out of five
No. 32 - 2022
Posted 8/5/2022
My Impressions: Insightful tale of Native American living between to societies.
Main Characters:
Lance Tallbear – Native American sheriff’s deputy
Gray Eagle- Apache shaman, grandfather
Tommy Hawk – Young Apache half breed trying to adjust to the White world
Tom Kane – Corrupt CIA agent
Brad Henley – Washed up drunken FBI agent
General Harmon – Corrupt but patriotic string puller.
Sheriff Lance (like a native spear?) Tallbear is pulled into two murders that occurred seventy years ago. The mystery takes him from Arizona to California and involves thievery in Germany’s World War II Nazi government. When Tommy Hawk (tomahawk?) finds an old, crashed DE Havilland DH91 Albatross airplane, circa 1930s, on Arizona’s Superstition Mountain, Tallbear tackles a case seventy years old. After Tommy is caught with jewelry he took from the plane, Tallbear wonders what other secrets the boy might be concealing from him. When the FBI, CIA, and an old, retired army general get involved he has his hands full. Soon people involved in the case start being murdered as Tallbear searches for evidence
CIA agent Thomas Kane requests a drunken burnout FBI agent to assist him to investigate the case he claims is linked to national security. He and Henley served together in the CIA during Desert Storm. Henley transferred to the FBI after that. Tallbear can’t work with the inept and drunk FBI agent Henley, so he uses his shaman skills to dry him out in a Native American ritual.
The story is fast paced, and I recommend it.
The editing and sentence structure need lots of work.
Character development is detailed.
Details and research are full and descriptive
The plot is unique as Tallbear endeavors to trap a killer but is focused on the wrong one.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
