Title – When Sally Comes Marching Home
Author – Richard Milton
Genre – Thriller
Word Count 88,000 plus extras
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 12-1 - 2019
Posted 5/17/2019
My Impressions: Exciting, well written, plenty of action.
Main Characters:
Major Sally Honeychurch - Army ex-S.O.E. undercover agent.
Teddy – The Duke of Buckingham, described as a lovely, dangerous man.
Lt. Gen. Stewart Menzies – Sally’s military boss.
Mac Mackenzie – Scotland Yard Detective Inspector and Sally’s partner during the war.
During WWII Sally was a member of an elite group of female operatives dropped behind German lines to aid the French Resistance in assassinating targeted Germans and wreak havoc. After the war, the females in her military group were discharged because they were women and politicians didn’t like the idea of women behind enemy lines.
After Germany surrendered, a plot to set off an atom bomb in London, England was uncovered.
Investigation of a theft from a warehouse where fourteen employees were gunned down discloses the presence of radiation. The ship by which the heavy crates entered London also showed radiation contamination.
The military leaders were sure the Russians or the Zionist were behind the plot. Sally differed with the hierarchy and opined diehards from Germany were behind the horrendous scheme. She had minimal evidence and was ignored by the male chauvinist pigs in charge.
Sally’s daring escapades rival any action hero and the male goons involved didn’t stand a chance when her anger went into play.
The story is loaded with conflict and intrigue and was enjoyable from start to finish.
Since the story was written by an Englishman, much of the editing differs from American standards. For example; half the hyphenated compounds are incorrect according to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. On the minor side, several words are missing, wrong, or misspelled. A few comma issues are also present. However, I seriously doubt most readers will be put off by these errors.
Character development is excellent.
Research is obvious, especially if the reader takes time to read the Historical Notes at the stories end.
I enjoyed the story immensely in spite of the perceived editing errors.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Richard Milton
Genre – Thriller
Word Count 88,000 plus extras
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 12-1 - 2019
Posted 5/17/2019
My Impressions: Exciting, well written, plenty of action.
Main Characters:
Major Sally Honeychurch - Army ex-S.O.E. undercover agent.
Teddy – The Duke of Buckingham, described as a lovely, dangerous man.
Lt. Gen. Stewart Menzies – Sally’s military boss.
Mac Mackenzie – Scotland Yard Detective Inspector and Sally’s partner during the war.
During WWII Sally was a member of an elite group of female operatives dropped behind German lines to aid the French Resistance in assassinating targeted Germans and wreak havoc. After the war, the females in her military group were discharged because they were women and politicians didn’t like the idea of women behind enemy lines.
After Germany surrendered, a plot to set off an atom bomb in London, England was uncovered.
Investigation of a theft from a warehouse where fourteen employees were gunned down discloses the presence of radiation. The ship by which the heavy crates entered London also showed radiation contamination.
The military leaders were sure the Russians or the Zionist were behind the plot. Sally differed with the hierarchy and opined diehards from Germany were behind the horrendous scheme. She had minimal evidence and was ignored by the male chauvinist pigs in charge.
Sally’s daring escapades rival any action hero and the male goons involved didn’t stand a chance when her anger went into play.
The story is loaded with conflict and intrigue and was enjoyable from start to finish.
Since the story was written by an Englishman, much of the editing differs from American standards. For example; half the hyphenated compounds are incorrect according to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. On the minor side, several words are missing, wrong, or misspelled. A few comma issues are also present. However, I seriously doubt most readers will be put off by these errors.
Character development is excellent.
Research is obvious, especially if the reader takes time to read the Historical Notes at the stories end.
I enjoyed the story immensely in spite of the perceived editing errors.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Walking With Shadows
Author – Luke Romyn
Genre – Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Action, Adventure
Word Count 430 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 12 - 2019
Posted 5/11/2019
Jonas Drake is a successful but reclusive novelist with a troubled past. He attempted to confront his childhood demons with his early fantasy short stories. Those stories didn't sell well so he changed genres and wrote crime stories for the money and fame they brought. However, that didn't bring the inner peace his tortured mind craved and needed.
On a return flight from Brazil, the plane crashed in the Amazon rainforest. Jonas and a ten year old boy, Jeremy, are the lone survivors. Jonas soon learned he was a product of the streets of New York City and was ill equipped to face the dangers of F.A.R.C. terrorist, wild animals, jungles natives and drug smugglers. Or was he?
To placate and support Jeremy, Jonas recounted tales about characters from his early fantasy books and soon drew the boy into the world he created to escape a troubled childhood.
I'm not a fantasy fan so some of those recounted stories were a bit long for my taste. But they were necessary to set the stage for what was to come.
In the end, Jonas found the strength to confront and accept his past and make life altering decisions that would reshape who he had become and who he chose to be.
Overall, this is one of the most interesting stories I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. I highly recommend it.
The editing, sentence structure and writing style of Walking With Shadows are exemplary.
In depth research is evident by its accuracy.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Luke Romyn
Genre – Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Action, Adventure
Word Count 430 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 12 - 2019
Posted 5/11/2019
Jonas Drake is a successful but reclusive novelist with a troubled past. He attempted to confront his childhood demons with his early fantasy short stories. Those stories didn't sell well so he changed genres and wrote crime stories for the money and fame they brought. However, that didn't bring the inner peace his tortured mind craved and needed.
On a return flight from Brazil, the plane crashed in the Amazon rainforest. Jonas and a ten year old boy, Jeremy, are the lone survivors. Jonas soon learned he was a product of the streets of New York City and was ill equipped to face the dangers of F.A.R.C. terrorist, wild animals, jungles natives and drug smugglers. Or was he?
To placate and support Jeremy, Jonas recounted tales about characters from his early fantasy books and soon drew the boy into the world he created to escape a troubled childhood.
I'm not a fantasy fan so some of those recounted stories were a bit long for my taste. But they were necessary to set the stage for what was to come.
In the end, Jonas found the strength to confront and accept his past and make life altering decisions that would reshape who he had become and who he chose to be.
Overall, this is one of the most interesting stories I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. I highly recommend it.
The editing, sentence structure and writing style of Walking With Shadows are exemplary.
In depth research is evident by its accuracy.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Smart Kid
Author – Bob Miller
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
378 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No.11 - 2019
Posted 5/3/2019
The genre is listed as Mystery and Thriller but it also has a strong science fiction element throughout.
Michael Shale is a man in his mid-thirties who has the size and appearance of a twelve year old.
A powerful sitting US Senator heads a corrupt secret group within the FBI that captures Michael and holds him to draw samples from his body. Of course, it's done under the auspicious of national security.
The evil side of the Senator's involvement is his personal craving for a fountain of youth elixir to keep him at his present age so he can remain in office for an extended period of time. Other implications are to create an army of super soldiers who would remain in their prime fighting condition for many decades.
The story evolves as Michael escapes his imprisonment and begins a journey involving numerous identity changes while he hides in plain sight. While hiding he also leaves subtle clues for his normally ageing twin brother to locate him.
The editing and sentence structure in The Smart Kid are unusually good.
Character development is through and detailed.
There are adequate details of locations etc., but they are not flowery or excessive.
The core of the plot depends on science fiction and provides constant conflict and danger.
The writing style is straight forward and uncluttered.
There is minor occasional cursing and no graphic sex.
Toward the end there are several scenes I felt were somewhat contrived to make the ending mesh, but I was able to overlook those.
I enjoyed this story immensely but won't give more details at the risk of revealing too much.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Bob Miller
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
378 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No.11 - 2019
Posted 5/3/2019
The genre is listed as Mystery and Thriller but it also has a strong science fiction element throughout.
Michael Shale is a man in his mid-thirties who has the size and appearance of a twelve year old.
A powerful sitting US Senator heads a corrupt secret group within the FBI that captures Michael and holds him to draw samples from his body. Of course, it's done under the auspicious of national security.
The evil side of the Senator's involvement is his personal craving for a fountain of youth elixir to keep him at his present age so he can remain in office for an extended period of time. Other implications are to create an army of super soldiers who would remain in their prime fighting condition for many decades.
The story evolves as Michael escapes his imprisonment and begins a journey involving numerous identity changes while he hides in plain sight. While hiding he also leaves subtle clues for his normally ageing twin brother to locate him.
The editing and sentence structure in The Smart Kid are unusually good.
Character development is through and detailed.
There are adequate details of locations etc., but they are not flowery or excessive.
The core of the plot depends on science fiction and provides constant conflict and danger.
The writing style is straight forward and uncluttered.
There is minor occasional cursing and no graphic sex.
Toward the end there are several scenes I felt were somewhat contrived to make the ending mesh, but I was able to overlook those.
I enjoyed this story immensely but won't give more details at the risk of revealing too much.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Genesis
Author – G.E. Forth
Genre – Spy Thriller
Word Count 91,300
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. – 10-1, 2019
Posted 4/30/2019
My Impressions: exciting, intense, great characters.
Main Characters:
Robert Chase - a non-violent CIA operative specializing in abductions.
Samantha D’Aubrisson – Robert’s soul mate.
Andreas – a hacker supreme, member of PLL and a dangerous person.
There is a large cast of support characters.
Robert Chase is a rare CIA agent. He is nonviolent even though he has a dangerous job. When the agency wants a suspect captured for interrogation, he is charged with making the snatch and grab apprehension as smooth as possible. Although he professed non-violence, he is capable of subduing enemies or defending himself. At forty years of age, he sees and is drawn to a beautiful Parisian woman. Slowly a relationship evolves over several years’ time and a love story becomes an additional genre.
An offset of the story is a major planned attack by the Iranian leadership. Our military, of course, shuts it down through intense data gathering and then sheer force. The entire process was intense and exciting.
Then Robert has to deal with professional, murderous thugs as he closes in on the master hacker Andreas
Now the bad news. Editing in the first ten percent of the story is sorry. There are far too many hyphenated compound words that are incorrect and extra commas are scattered far too often. Then the editing improved. Comma placement and hyphens were still minor issues throughout but not a major problem. I doubt most readers will be slowed by them.
The writing style is crisp and fast paced.
Character development is good. I came to know the main characters and anticipate their responses.
In spite of its listed faults, I highly recommend Genesis for the strong plot and writing.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – G.E. Forth
Genre – Spy Thriller
Word Count 91,300
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. – 10-1, 2019
Posted 4/30/2019
My Impressions: exciting, intense, great characters.
Main Characters:
Robert Chase - a non-violent CIA operative specializing in abductions.
Samantha D’Aubrisson – Robert’s soul mate.
Andreas – a hacker supreme, member of PLL and a dangerous person.
There is a large cast of support characters.
Robert Chase is a rare CIA agent. He is nonviolent even though he has a dangerous job. When the agency wants a suspect captured for interrogation, he is charged with making the snatch and grab apprehension as smooth as possible. Although he professed non-violence, he is capable of subduing enemies or defending himself. At forty years of age, he sees and is drawn to a beautiful Parisian woman. Slowly a relationship evolves over several years’ time and a love story becomes an additional genre.
An offset of the story is a major planned attack by the Iranian leadership. Our military, of course, shuts it down through intense data gathering and then sheer force. The entire process was intense and exciting.
Then Robert has to deal with professional, murderous thugs as he closes in on the master hacker Andreas
Now the bad news. Editing in the first ten percent of the story is sorry. There are far too many hyphenated compound words that are incorrect and extra commas are scattered far too often. Then the editing improved. Comma placement and hyphens were still minor issues throughout but not a major problem. I doubt most readers will be slowed by them.
The writing style is crisp and fast paced.
Character development is good. I came to know the main characters and anticipate their responses.
In spite of its listed faults, I highly recommend Genesis for the strong plot and writing.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Killing Face
Author – Ken Humphrey
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Crime Thriller
532 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 09 - 2019
Posted 4/26/2019
Main Characters:
Aramis Archibald White, Arch, is a detective with the Chicago police department.
Sheila Walters is a reporter with Chicago's Fox 32 news station and Arch's estranged girlfriend
Griffin Toms is Arch's partner who is ready to retire.
Detective Arch White is not a favorite son to the Chicago police force. He filed a racial discrimination lawsuit to gain admittance to the group for an ulterior reason.
When a prominent African American leader is murdered, Arch is next in line to be the lead detective on the case. Quickly, one killing grows to seven and pits Arch at odds with several of his superiors who want the case buried before the public can react with outrage.
Instead, Arch and his partner follow leads that encompass Chicago's entrenched power brokers and discover a larger plot of ethnic cleansing.
The Killing Face is an enjoyable, fast paced read.
Editing is good with only a few noticeable errors. There is some mixing of past and present tense.
Character development is thorough.
Details are rather sparse, but definitely enough to clearly set the stage without being excessive or flowery.
The plot is complicated and intense.
The writing style encompasses some short, choppy sentences for effect.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Ken Humphrey
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Crime Thriller
532 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 09 - 2019
Posted 4/26/2019
Main Characters:
Aramis Archibald White, Arch, is a detective with the Chicago police department.
Sheila Walters is a reporter with Chicago's Fox 32 news station and Arch's estranged girlfriend
Griffin Toms is Arch's partner who is ready to retire.
Detective Arch White is not a favorite son to the Chicago police force. He filed a racial discrimination lawsuit to gain admittance to the group for an ulterior reason.
When a prominent African American leader is murdered, Arch is next in line to be the lead detective on the case. Quickly, one killing grows to seven and pits Arch at odds with several of his superiors who want the case buried before the public can react with outrage.
Instead, Arch and his partner follow leads that encompass Chicago's entrenched power brokers and discover a larger plot of ethnic cleansing.
The Killing Face is an enjoyable, fast paced read.
Editing is good with only a few noticeable errors. There is some mixing of past and present tense.
Character development is thorough.
Details are rather sparse, but definitely enough to clearly set the stage without being excessive or flowery.
The plot is complicated and intense.
The writing style encompasses some short, choppy sentences for effect.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Lockdown
Author – Scott Black
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Military Thriller
294 Pages and 96,400 words
No. 10 - 2019
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 4/19/2019
My impressions: dark, devious, insane, psychopath, bad management choice.
Lockdown is a peacetime naval story of revenge against an obnoxious superior officer. A vicious murder is committed during a raging hurricane while the USS Miller is at sea.
Tyler West is the main character and the lead petty officer of the small contingent of men in the hull repair technician's group.
After the officer is brutally murdered rumors abound, both false and true. The ship is placed on lockdown and the crew member’s are confined to their sleeping compartments during their free time. Tempers soon flare due to the close confinement and Tyler's friends begin to cast suspicion on each other.
A team of investigators is air-lifted to the ship during the storm to interview crew members to gather information to determine the killer's identity and facilitate a confession.
Aside from the effort to catch a killer, members of the crew, enlisted and officers, find themselves dealing with their own personal emotions and short comings.
The editing of Lockdown is good, character development is excellent, research is thorough, and the plot is complex and intense.
I highly recommend this compelling story, especially to folks who like military plots.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Scott Black
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Military Thriller
294 Pages and 96,400 words
No. 10 - 2019
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 4/19/2019
My impressions: dark, devious, insane, psychopath, bad management choice.
Lockdown is a peacetime naval story of revenge against an obnoxious superior officer. A vicious murder is committed during a raging hurricane while the USS Miller is at sea.
Tyler West is the main character and the lead petty officer of the small contingent of men in the hull repair technician's group.
After the officer is brutally murdered rumors abound, both false and true. The ship is placed on lockdown and the crew member’s are confined to their sleeping compartments during their free time. Tempers soon flare due to the close confinement and Tyler's friends begin to cast suspicion on each other.
A team of investigators is air-lifted to the ship during the storm to interview crew members to gather information to determine the killer's identity and facilitate a confession.
Aside from the effort to catch a killer, members of the crew, enlisted and officers, find themselves dealing with their own personal emotions and short comings.
The editing of Lockdown is good, character development is excellent, research is thorough, and the plot is complex and intense.
I highly recommend this compelling story, especially to folks who like military plots.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Ogrodnik
Author – Gary Coffin
Genre – Mystery
302 Pages
Rating Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 08 - 2019
Posted 4/12/2019
Main Characters:
Elliot Forsman - criminologist teaching at the local university and a detective
Rivka Goldstein - ex Montreal cop who works for Elliot's agency, also an iron man competitor.
Dr. Alex Banik- at Biovonix Pharmaceutical
Rayce Nolan. - bad assed ex-special forces soldier
Criminologist Elliot Forsman teachs at the local university. He also has a private detective agency. His father, Hubert was murdered in an apparent robbery gone awry.
Rivka Goldstein is an ex Montreal cop who works for Elliot's agency. She's also a no nonsense iron man competitor.
After allowing the local police to conduct an investigation into his father's death and seeing the case shelved as unsolved, Elliot starts his own investigation.
Soon Elliot finds that his father anticipated being attacked and left small clues to guide him in his investigation. Hubert's string of clues leads Elliot to Dr. Alex Banik at Biovonix Pharmaceutical. As part of the back story, readers learn Elliot's wife died in a tragic accident three years earlier. Or was it an accident?
Elliot hires a retired cop to follow a suspect and the man is murdered while on stakeout. The murderer texted Rivka, stuns her, and introduces himself as Ogrodnik. Something he says convinces her the ugly giant is the Stungun Killer she pursued on her last case as a police officer. The serial killer murdered nine women. In an instant she and Elliot have two dangerous investigations going.
For strong arm support, Elliot enlists the aid of a mysterious, bad assed ex-special forces soldier named Rayce Nolan. Of course, he has a stash of hard to obtain weapons and knows how to use them. Together they take on a large gang of mercenaries working for the antagonists.
The plot is interesting because it's not predictable, and character development is detailed to paint vivid pictures of the good and bad guys.
Editing is unusually good.
I highly recommend this intense story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Gary Coffin
Genre – Mystery
302 Pages
Rating Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 08 - 2019
Posted 4/12/2019
Main Characters:
Elliot Forsman - criminologist teaching at the local university and a detective
Rivka Goldstein - ex Montreal cop who works for Elliot's agency, also an iron man competitor.
Dr. Alex Banik- at Biovonix Pharmaceutical
Rayce Nolan. - bad assed ex-special forces soldier
Criminologist Elliot Forsman teachs at the local university. He also has a private detective agency. His father, Hubert was murdered in an apparent robbery gone awry.
Rivka Goldstein is an ex Montreal cop who works for Elliot's agency. She's also a no nonsense iron man competitor.
After allowing the local police to conduct an investigation into his father's death and seeing the case shelved as unsolved, Elliot starts his own investigation.
Soon Elliot finds that his father anticipated being attacked and left small clues to guide him in his investigation. Hubert's string of clues leads Elliot to Dr. Alex Banik at Biovonix Pharmaceutical. As part of the back story, readers learn Elliot's wife died in a tragic accident three years earlier. Or was it an accident?
Elliot hires a retired cop to follow a suspect and the man is murdered while on stakeout. The murderer texted Rivka, stuns her, and introduces himself as Ogrodnik. Something he says convinces her the ugly giant is the Stungun Killer she pursued on her last case as a police officer. The serial killer murdered nine women. In an instant she and Elliot have two dangerous investigations going.
For strong arm support, Elliot enlists the aid of a mysterious, bad assed ex-special forces soldier named Rayce Nolan. Of course, he has a stash of hard to obtain weapons and knows how to use them. Together they take on a large gang of mercenaries working for the antagonists.
The plot is interesting because it's not predictable, and character development is detailed to paint vivid pictures of the good and bad guys.
Editing is unusually good.
I highly recommend this intense story.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Cardiac
Author – Jeff Monaghan
Genre – MST
230 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 07 - 2019
Posted 4/6/2019
Another most intriguing story,
Jack Getty is the CEO of pharmaceutical company Algen. He is about to make a major announcement at an industry conference in front of ten thousand attendees. A young conference assistant convinces him to take a drink of lemon flavored water to moisten his throat before he goes on stage to speak. Minutes later Jack suffers a major heart attack as he approaches the podium. Is the heart attack natural or was it induced?
At Johns Hopkins Hospital he is fitted with the latest wireless technology pacemaker. And that's where the drama begins.
Along the way, Jack suspects his recurring heart problems are induced by outside forces. But the makers of the appliance and his doctor assure him that isn't possible.
While dealing with his heart troubles and the fact that his company needs to release its latest success story, Jack and his family are stalked by a disgruntled employee who wants to slowly kill Jack and his family. But the threat from the lone employee is the least of Jack's problems.
He has an entire group of very organized opponents chasing him for a bit of information he is loath to give up.
Finally, he figures out who is making him suffer and how it is being done. But then the agents of evil step up their game plan and play even rougher.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character development is thorough and in depth.
The plot is intense and filled with conflict.
The writing style is wordy and overly emotional for my taste but should appeal to most readers.
I highly recommend Cardiac for a mysterious, suspenseful and thrilling read.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Jeff Monaghan
Genre – MST
230 Amazon Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 07 - 2019
Posted 4/6/2019
Another most intriguing story,
Jack Getty is the CEO of pharmaceutical company Algen. He is about to make a major announcement at an industry conference in front of ten thousand attendees. A young conference assistant convinces him to take a drink of lemon flavored water to moisten his throat before he goes on stage to speak. Minutes later Jack suffers a major heart attack as he approaches the podium. Is the heart attack natural or was it induced?
At Johns Hopkins Hospital he is fitted with the latest wireless technology pacemaker. And that's where the drama begins.
Along the way, Jack suspects his recurring heart problems are induced by outside forces. But the makers of the appliance and his doctor assure him that isn't possible.
While dealing with his heart troubles and the fact that his company needs to release its latest success story, Jack and his family are stalked by a disgruntled employee who wants to slowly kill Jack and his family. But the threat from the lone employee is the least of Jack's problems.
He has an entire group of very organized opponents chasing him for a bit of information he is loath to give up.
Finally, he figures out who is making him suffer and how it is being done. But then the agents of evil step up their game plan and play even rougher.
The editing and sentence structure are excellent.
Character development is thorough and in depth.
The plot is intense and filled with conflict.
The writing style is wordy and overly emotional for my taste but should appeal to most readers.
I highly recommend Cardiac for a mysterious, suspenseful and thrilling read.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Analogue
Author – Jack Rohrer
Genre – Suspense/Medical Thriller
261 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 06 - 2019
Posted 3/28/2019
Main Characters:
Dr. Krista Pastorek – In charge of LSD psychotherapy
Garrett Wayley and Nick Farris- Terminal patients
Reading a medical thriller is not my usual choice. However, I'm proud to say Analogue was an unexpected positive surprise.
The head of a small hospice clinic in Las Vegas, Dr. Krista Pastorek, has jumped through all the challenging legal hoops to be accredited to administer LSD psychotherapy to patients facing eminent death. The drug reduces anxiety and puts the patient's in a relaxed, pleasant frame of mind.
Enter. Both men have inoperable brain tumors and are terminal. But something goes awry during their treatments, and the tumors disappear. Sounds great doesn't it? Slowly they learn there are dangerous side effects that accompany the miraculous cures.
From that point on the story evolves into a murder mystery with a sinister plot created by one of the recovered patients. Unexpected consequences finally do in the culprit despite the voices in his head directing his actions. Oh, did I mention that one of the cured patients is a cop? The story soon brings him to the forefront when he follows a slim trail of leads to confront the antagonist.
I strongly recommend this story for those who enjoy a complicated well crafted plot.
There are very few minor editing errors and several past/ present tense errors, but the overall editing is quite good.
Quality research by the author is reflected in the amount of details used to make the story's medical theme plot seem authentic.
The biggest flaw is in the formatting. Line spaces between scenes are so small as to be overlooked and several scene changes had no warning breaks at all.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Jack Rohrer
Genre – Suspense/Medical Thriller
261 Pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 06 - 2019
Posted 3/28/2019
Main Characters:
Dr. Krista Pastorek – In charge of LSD psychotherapy
Garrett Wayley and Nick Farris- Terminal patients
Reading a medical thriller is not my usual choice. However, I'm proud to say Analogue was an unexpected positive surprise.
The head of a small hospice clinic in Las Vegas, Dr. Krista Pastorek, has jumped through all the challenging legal hoops to be accredited to administer LSD psychotherapy to patients facing eminent death. The drug reduces anxiety and puts the patient's in a relaxed, pleasant frame of mind.
Enter. Both men have inoperable brain tumors and are terminal. But something goes awry during their treatments, and the tumors disappear. Sounds great doesn't it? Slowly they learn there are dangerous side effects that accompany the miraculous cures.
From that point on the story evolves into a murder mystery with a sinister plot created by one of the recovered patients. Unexpected consequences finally do in the culprit despite the voices in his head directing his actions. Oh, did I mention that one of the cured patients is a cop? The story soon brings him to the forefront when he follows a slim trail of leads to confront the antagonist.
I strongly recommend this story for those who enjoy a complicated well crafted plot.
There are very few minor editing errors and several past/ present tense errors, but the overall editing is quite good.
Quality research by the author is reflected in the amount of details used to make the story's medical theme plot seem authentic.
The biggest flaw is in the formatting. Line spaces between scenes are so small as to be overlooked and several scene changes had no warning breaks at all.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Shooting: a Mike Gage Thriller
Author – William Davis
Genre – Mystery, Crime Suspense
Word Count 130,000 words and 465 pages at Amazon
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 05 - 2019
Posted 3/20/2019
My overall impressions: intense, intriguing, captivating, fast but well paced, well written, exciting.
Main Characters:
Mike Gage – investigator
Henry Wu- FBI agent
“Killer” – High School Student
“Slayer” – High School Student
Students Killer and Slayer enter their elite high school in Florida wearing camouflage gear. Without warning they stun the Homecoming Dance crowd by flashing guns and firing into the ceiling. From there the situation goes downhill leaving the shooters and innocent students wounded or dead.
Amid the suffering and despair of the survivors and relatives, a select group of wealthy parents hire investigator Mike Gage to learn why two kids from an affluent enclave attending a superior school environment would commit such depravity.
As Mike's investigation evolves, he is stonewalled by local authorities and school officials.
Enter FBI agent Henry Wu. Henry is an agent who the bureau fields alone because of past job performance his superiors disapproved of. Henry puts Mike on his staff, so they have more clout and the two of them work together to piece together a chilling sequence of events prior to the murders.
There are enough contradictions and evasive answers that Mike and Henry feel there is much more involved than two disgruntled students taking revenge on their peers.
As the plot develops, the trail to the truth expands to have national and international implications.
The editing of The Shooting is nearly perfect.
Those readers who have followed my reviews know I don't pass out five star ratings like throwing candy to children; authors have to earn and deserve high praise for great results. The Shooting is one of the most professional and well crafted stories I've read, and I highly recommend it for all crime genre fans.
Congratulation to the author, William G. Davis.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – William Davis
Genre – Mystery, Crime Suspense
Word Count 130,000 words and 465 pages at Amazon
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 05 - 2019
Posted 3/20/2019
My overall impressions: intense, intriguing, captivating, fast but well paced, well written, exciting.
Main Characters:
Mike Gage – investigator
Henry Wu- FBI agent
“Killer” – High School Student
“Slayer” – High School Student
Students Killer and Slayer enter their elite high school in Florida wearing camouflage gear. Without warning they stun the Homecoming Dance crowd by flashing guns and firing into the ceiling. From there the situation goes downhill leaving the shooters and innocent students wounded or dead.
Amid the suffering and despair of the survivors and relatives, a select group of wealthy parents hire investigator Mike Gage to learn why two kids from an affluent enclave attending a superior school environment would commit such depravity.
As Mike's investigation evolves, he is stonewalled by local authorities and school officials.
Enter FBI agent Henry Wu. Henry is an agent who the bureau fields alone because of past job performance his superiors disapproved of. Henry puts Mike on his staff, so they have more clout and the two of them work together to piece together a chilling sequence of events prior to the murders.
There are enough contradictions and evasive answers that Mike and Henry feel there is much more involved than two disgruntled students taking revenge on their peers.
As the plot develops, the trail to the truth expands to have national and international implications.
The editing of The Shooting is nearly perfect.
Those readers who have followed my reviews know I don't pass out five star ratings like throwing candy to children; authors have to earn and deserve high praise for great results. The Shooting is one of the most professional and well crafted stories I've read, and I highly recommend it for all crime genre fans.
Congratulation to the author, William G. Davis.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Gravedigger's Moon
Author – John Schmierer
Genre – Mystery/Suspense
242 pages
Rating - 5 stars out of 5
No. 04 - 2019
Posted 3/9/2019
Main Characters:
Logan Bigelow- billionaire,
Benjamin Holt - Lawyer
This is the best story I've read in quite some time.
Logan Bigelow is an entrepreneur whose business holding are estimated to be worth nearly one billion dollars. A few months after his wife's death, he asked his lawyer to locate an illegitimate daughter he fathered thirty years ago. He wants to give her ten million dollars. Weeks later, the private jet Logan is piloting crashes into the ground and all onboard die.
Benjamin Holt is Logan's friend and lawyer who is charged with locating Logan's long lost child. Ben is under pressure at his firm to complete the search post haste or be fired. But Ben has his own personal issues to deal with while he chases after the long lost heir that Logan has had no contact with since her birth.
Ben contacts Alan Kane, the first person he finds with a link to the missing daughter. Alan is a pot smoking drunk who gives golf lessons at a local country club. Alan harbors a grudge against his family because his deceased father passed the family business to his younger brother and left him nothing. He's always out for a fast buck and hustles the rich clients he gives lessons to. Through devious manipulation, Alan manages to become more involved in the search than Ben had intended.
Then we meet Alan's off and on girlfriend, Ashley, and his quirky friend, Gunnar. Finally, a big, middle-aged but menacing and intimidating acquaintance of Ashley's named Wentworth Tellington injects himself in the search and the plot takes off with a vengeance. There are twists and turns and dead ends to please even the most hardcore mystery fans.
To top it off, the ending is a complete surprise as the person who created the mess, Ben has to deal with receives a startling revelation that is justice served at its best.
A note to those of you who demand perfect grammar; there are a few editing errors, missing, extra and misspelled words among several other minor editing boo-boos. There is also some minor cursing.
I highly recommend this engaging story and thank the author for requesting a review.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John Schmierer
Genre – Mystery/Suspense
242 pages
Rating - 5 stars out of 5
No. 04 - 2019
Posted 3/9/2019
Main Characters:
Logan Bigelow- billionaire,
Benjamin Holt - Lawyer
This is the best story I've read in quite some time.
Logan Bigelow is an entrepreneur whose business holding are estimated to be worth nearly one billion dollars. A few months after his wife's death, he asked his lawyer to locate an illegitimate daughter he fathered thirty years ago. He wants to give her ten million dollars. Weeks later, the private jet Logan is piloting crashes into the ground and all onboard die.
Benjamin Holt is Logan's friend and lawyer who is charged with locating Logan's long lost child. Ben is under pressure at his firm to complete the search post haste or be fired. But Ben has his own personal issues to deal with while he chases after the long lost heir that Logan has had no contact with since her birth.
Ben contacts Alan Kane, the first person he finds with a link to the missing daughter. Alan is a pot smoking drunk who gives golf lessons at a local country club. Alan harbors a grudge against his family because his deceased father passed the family business to his younger brother and left him nothing. He's always out for a fast buck and hustles the rich clients he gives lessons to. Through devious manipulation, Alan manages to become more involved in the search than Ben had intended.
Then we meet Alan's off and on girlfriend, Ashley, and his quirky friend, Gunnar. Finally, a big, middle-aged but menacing and intimidating acquaintance of Ashley's named Wentworth Tellington injects himself in the search and the plot takes off with a vengeance. There are twists and turns and dead ends to please even the most hardcore mystery fans.
To top it off, the ending is a complete surprise as the person who created the mess, Ben has to deal with receives a startling revelation that is justice served at its best.
A note to those of you who demand perfect grammar; there are a few editing errors, missing, extra and misspelled words among several other minor editing boo-boos. There is also some minor cursing.
I highly recommend this engaging story and thank the author for requesting a review.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Mud Pie
Author – Emma Lee Bole
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Word Count 102,200 Not at Amazon, download at Smashwords.com
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. – 3 - 2019
Posted 3/1/2019
Mud Pie is a British mystery. I've read many British stories in the past and have grown accustomed to the most common slang terms used. But Mud Pie brought slang words to a whole new level. It was interesting, but it necessitated using the dictionary quite often.
The plot is full of pain and despair; the main character has been condemned to death by gangsters. At times Lannie is so distraught she converses with the dead owner of the house she lives in and then with a murdered bar maid.
Lannie Herron is a twenty-seven year old pastry chef who gets crossways with the Manchester, England, criminal mob. After several attempts to kill her fail, she leaves Manchester to hide out. At about one third into the book we learn the full story of why she has been marked for brutal death.
Lannie's new life in hiding centers around a rural rugby club and the country pub where she cooks. Her new bevy of characters soon begin to open up to her and she learns all have something to hide, and not all are the friends they purport to be in public.
There is conflict and suspense galore. The mobsters are still after Lannie, and a murder at the rugby club elevates Lannie to the head of the suspects list. But then she compiles her own list of suspects with reason to commit the murder and slowly includes most of her new group of acquaintances.
By halfway through Mud Pie, I was intrigued and knew I had to finish.
The writing quality is above average with only infrequent editing errors. A few scenes were lumped together without breaks, and I felt a few sentence structures were clumsy. But these were few and minor and barely distracted from the overall quality of this engrossing story.
I rate Mud Pie a 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 and heartily recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Emma Lee Bole
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Word Count 102,200 Not at Amazon, download at Smashwords.com
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. – 3 - 2019
Posted 3/1/2019
Mud Pie is a British mystery. I've read many British stories in the past and have grown accustomed to the most common slang terms used. But Mud Pie brought slang words to a whole new level. It was interesting, but it necessitated using the dictionary quite often.
The plot is full of pain and despair; the main character has been condemned to death by gangsters. At times Lannie is so distraught she converses with the dead owner of the house she lives in and then with a murdered bar maid.
Lannie Herron is a twenty-seven year old pastry chef who gets crossways with the Manchester, England, criminal mob. After several attempts to kill her fail, she leaves Manchester to hide out. At about one third into the book we learn the full story of why she has been marked for brutal death.
Lannie's new life in hiding centers around a rural rugby club and the country pub where she cooks. Her new bevy of characters soon begin to open up to her and she learns all have something to hide, and not all are the friends they purport to be in public.
There is conflict and suspense galore. The mobsters are still after Lannie, and a murder at the rugby club elevates Lannie to the head of the suspects list. But then she compiles her own list of suspects with reason to commit the murder and slowly includes most of her new group of acquaintances.
By halfway through Mud Pie, I was intrigued and knew I had to finish.
The writing quality is above average with only infrequent editing errors. A few scenes were lumped together without breaks, and I felt a few sentence structures were clumsy. But these were few and minor and barely distracted from the overall quality of this engrossing story.
I rate Mud Pie a 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 and heartily recommend it.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Blackspoon
Author – Daniel Eagleton
Genre - Thriller
201 pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. – 02- 2019
Posted 2/22/2019
Main Characters: Charlie Wetherspoon – RAF mover
Geddis – RAF Military Police
Baker – RAF Military POlice
RAF member Charlie Wetherspoon flew from Afghanistan with five kilos of heroin taped to his roiling stomach. He'd agreed to be a drug mule for a fee of $10,000. But then, Charlie got greedy. However, more money wouldn't erase the mess Charlie soon found himself being dragged into. Charlie's pathetic, short sighted focus blinded him to coming events as they exploded around him. Soon he was in the sights of the military, the police and drug dealers.
The writing style, pace and slang used in the story are U.K. English. The story telling is crisp and well done while being depressing.
The story is free of obvious editing errors and the plot is dark and dangerous. You can sense from the beginning that things are not going to end well for Charlie's pathetic, dreg of society character.
Charlie and the lazy, crazy sub-characters are well developed to where I'd not want to waste any time getting to know them.
Sentence structure was out of the norm of American English authors but typical and acceptable for UK writing. The plot was fresh and held my interest; but at times I wanted to put the book down because there are no heroes here. Losers and criminals abound, and it was hard to accept the dismal futures of those characters. But those people have a life too, and it was realistically portrayed in Blackspoon.
This review was made in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Daniel Eagleton
Genre - Thriller
201 pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. – 02- 2019
Posted 2/22/2019
Main Characters: Charlie Wetherspoon – RAF mover
Geddis – RAF Military Police
Baker – RAF Military POlice
RAF member Charlie Wetherspoon flew from Afghanistan with five kilos of heroin taped to his roiling stomach. He'd agreed to be a drug mule for a fee of $10,000. But then, Charlie got greedy. However, more money wouldn't erase the mess Charlie soon found himself being dragged into. Charlie's pathetic, short sighted focus blinded him to coming events as they exploded around him. Soon he was in the sights of the military, the police and drug dealers.
The writing style, pace and slang used in the story are U.K. English. The story telling is crisp and well done while being depressing.
The story is free of obvious editing errors and the plot is dark and dangerous. You can sense from the beginning that things are not going to end well for Charlie's pathetic, dreg of society character.
Charlie and the lazy, crazy sub-characters are well developed to where I'd not want to waste any time getting to know them.
Sentence structure was out of the norm of American English authors but typical and acceptable for UK writing. The plot was fresh and held my interest; but at times I wanted to put the book down because there are no heroes here. Losers and criminals abound, and it was hard to accept the dismal futures of those characters. But those people have a life too, and it was realistically portrayed in Blackspoon.
This review was made in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Into Hell's Fire
Author – Douglas Cavanaugh
Genre – Action / Spy Thriller
326 pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 01 - 2019
Posted 2/16/2019
In the opening chapters of Into Hell's Fire we meet the antagonist, Serbian General Stevan Parenta. The Bosnia war is being fought in the early 1990s. Before the conflict, the General was a low ranking bank employee, but through ruthless acts against the Croatian and Muslim peoples he has advanced in only two years to head the Serb Army.
Across the world, retired, middle-aged Lucas Martin has retired and is living in Thailand. Before retirement, Lucas was a go-to fixer for the U.S. State Department. He is an expert on Yugoslavian politics and worked under-cover as a free-lance reporter to gather information. He stays in good physical shape and isn't averse to killing when necessary.
Into Hell's Fire is a well written and intriguing account capturing the horrors of war between the Serbian, Croatian and Muslim citizenry. The politics of war are soon overshadowed by the personal greed for power and money by government officials and high ranking military officers. That's when the gist of the story unfolds.
Lucas accepts a lucrative offer to go back into Yugoslavia to document suspected war crimes being committed by the Serbian Army. He is soon drawn into the heart of the conflict where the action is plentiful and vividly staged.
The plot of this story is captivating, and the editing is very well done; it's not perfect but the errors are few and minor.
Sentence structure is good, and the details are painted with vivid color to build clear images of the people and their surroundings.
Main and supporting characters are artfully developed and leave lasting impressions of the good guys vs. the bad.
I heartily recommend this thrilling account of a senseless war.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Douglas Cavanaugh
Genre – Action / Spy Thriller
326 pages
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 01 - 2019
Posted 2/16/2019
In the opening chapters of Into Hell's Fire we meet the antagonist, Serbian General Stevan Parenta. The Bosnia war is being fought in the early 1990s. Before the conflict, the General was a low ranking bank employee, but through ruthless acts against the Croatian and Muslim peoples he has advanced in only two years to head the Serb Army.
Across the world, retired, middle-aged Lucas Martin has retired and is living in Thailand. Before retirement, Lucas was a go-to fixer for the U.S. State Department. He is an expert on Yugoslavian politics and worked under-cover as a free-lance reporter to gather information. He stays in good physical shape and isn't averse to killing when necessary.
Into Hell's Fire is a well written and intriguing account capturing the horrors of war between the Serbian, Croatian and Muslim citizenry. The politics of war are soon overshadowed by the personal greed for power and money by government officials and high ranking military officers. That's when the gist of the story unfolds.
Lucas accepts a lucrative offer to go back into Yugoslavia to document suspected war crimes being committed by the Serbian Army. He is soon drawn into the heart of the conflict where the action is plentiful and vividly staged.
The plot of this story is captivating, and the editing is very well done; it's not perfect but the errors are few and minor.
Sentence structure is good, and the details are painted with vivid color to build clear images of the people and their surroundings.
Main and supporting characters are artfully developed and leave lasting impressions of the good guys vs. the bad.
I heartily recommend this thrilling account of a senseless war.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
