Title – Treasure Fever
Author – James McPike
Genre – Action Adventure
Word Count 68,800
Rating Four stars out of Five
No.42 - 2020
Posted 11/27/2020
My Impressions: In addition to Action Adventure I judge this story to be Satire with Science Fiction. Max Finley reminded me of Maxwell Smart of the old Get Smart TV series.
Main Characters:
Max Finley – Bumbling NSA agent.
Lexa Tantaros – Beautiful thief.
Dean Spader – NSA agent who hates Max.
The story opens at the Royal Madrid Library in Spain. Lexa illegally copies an old manuscript giving details to the location of the fabled Inca treasure of El Dorado in South America. She’s caught red handed but somehow escapes the authorities there.
Max Findley is sent to capture her and return her to the US. Instead he assists her in escaping the police in Caracas, Venezuela, and goes on the run with her to Quito, Ecuador. There they find a jungle guide who will take them to The Sacred Valley of the Incas at The Mountain of the Gods. Once again there is a huge shootout as they evade the police.
As they enter the valley, they are captured by natives. Max is given a potent drug and has visions of where the treasure is located.
Then Dean Spader catches up to them with a military team and murders most of the natives.
The rest of the story involves science fiction as some mysterious force causes stone slab doors to open and stone bridge parts to rise and connect. Strictly tongue in cheek stuff. Think Indiana Jones.
The only way I could justify a four star rating is to judge this as Satire and Sci-fi. It would get a lower rating as a serious Action Adventure tale.
The editing and sentence structure are very poor.
Character Development is barely adequate.
Details depend on science fiction in some aspects and are totally unreal.
Under research, I find no evidence that the Glock 22 is made in the US and they use magazines, not clips.
The plot reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The writing style is fast paced and full of tongue in cheek action
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – James McPike
Genre – Action Adventure
Word Count 68,800
Rating Four stars out of Five
No.42 - 2020
Posted 11/27/2020
My Impressions: In addition to Action Adventure I judge this story to be Satire with Science Fiction. Max Finley reminded me of Maxwell Smart of the old Get Smart TV series.
Main Characters:
Max Finley – Bumbling NSA agent.
Lexa Tantaros – Beautiful thief.
Dean Spader – NSA agent who hates Max.
The story opens at the Royal Madrid Library in Spain. Lexa illegally copies an old manuscript giving details to the location of the fabled Inca treasure of El Dorado in South America. She’s caught red handed but somehow escapes the authorities there.
Max Findley is sent to capture her and return her to the US. Instead he assists her in escaping the police in Caracas, Venezuela, and goes on the run with her to Quito, Ecuador. There they find a jungle guide who will take them to The Sacred Valley of the Incas at The Mountain of the Gods. Once again there is a huge shootout as they evade the police.
As they enter the valley, they are captured by natives. Max is given a potent drug and has visions of where the treasure is located.
Then Dean Spader catches up to them with a military team and murders most of the natives.
The rest of the story involves science fiction as some mysterious force causes stone slab doors to open and stone bridge parts to rise and connect. Strictly tongue in cheek stuff. Think Indiana Jones.
The only way I could justify a four star rating is to judge this as Satire and Sci-fi. It would get a lower rating as a serious Action Adventure tale.
The editing and sentence structure are very poor.
Character Development is barely adequate.
Details depend on science fiction in some aspects and are totally unreal.
Under research, I find no evidence that the Glock 22 is made in the US and they use magazines, not clips.
The plot reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The writing style is fast paced and full of tongue in cheek action
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – A Deadly Miracle
Author – Bob Laurie
Genre – Thriller, Coming of age, fantasy, religious
Word Count - 92,000
Rating – Four stars out of five
No.40 - 2020
Posted 11/22/2020
My Impressions: Togue in cheek tale of an assassin and a naive young man raised by extremely emotional parents.
Main Characters:
Jace Hunter – Eighteen-year-old suffering growing pains.
Sage Petrov – Jace’s slutty girlfriend.
Capt. Ivan ‘Bull’ Volkov – Retired member of Russia’s Spetsnaz special forces team.
Anya – Bull’s fiancée.
Major Yuri Petrov – A Spetsnaz special forces team who has stolen a miracle drug.
Finn Hunter – Jace’s hardheaded, egotistical father.
Young Jace Hunter is going through his rebellious late teen years picking fights with his dad, Finn. But Finn is too stubborn and hardheaded to back off. His attitude is ‘my way or the highway’.
After Bull’s retirement ceremony his is told to find Major Yuri Petrov and bring two hundred boxes of a ‘miracle drug’ back to Russia. Bull refuses, but a general has Bull’s fiancée kidnapped to force Bull to find and kill his old buddy Yuri and return the two hundred doses of drugs that are worth thirty million dollars each.
Sage’s uncle Yuri offers to pay Sage and Jace twenty-five hundred dollars to deliver the drugs to a contact in New York. But Bull is waiting for them when they return (they stole his van to make the trip). Bull is a ruthless killer with a heart of gold. So he kills Sage, her dad, and her uncle Yuri.
Then he forces Jace to drive him back to where the drug delivery was made where he kills nine more bad guys.
Of course, to add to the conflict Jace’s dad is diagnosed with brain cancer and only has six months to live. He needs a dose of the miracle drug that cures a myriad of diseases. But if Bull returns to Russia without all two hundred doses he and Anya will be punished.
It’s a fast and entertaining read.
The poor editing and sentence structure drag the story down significantly.
Character Development is tongue in cheek.
Details and research are poor.
The plot is standard action hero and a teenager who gets dragged into deadly circumstances.
Note! A word to writers about firearms. Learn about them before making a fool of yourself by writing stupid comments. The Glock company sells magazines for their semiautomatic handguns. Not clips. Professional killers like Bull and Yuri do not wait until they’re ready to shoot to ‘cock’ the gun. Glocks are designed to be carried ‘HOT’ ready to fire by pulling the trigger. There is no safety switch. There are no firearm ‘silencers’. They are suppressors; they will knock the blast down, but it still sounds like a loud gunshot.
There is minimal cursing and no sexual situations.
The story is interesting but doesn’t rise to the thriller level. It relies on a fantasy drug and is a coming of age tale for Jace with a heavy dose of religion thrown in.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Bob Laurie
Genre – Thriller, Coming of age, fantasy, religious
Word Count - 92,000
Rating – Four stars out of five
No.40 - 2020
Posted 11/22/2020
My Impressions: Togue in cheek tale of an assassin and a naive young man raised by extremely emotional parents.
Main Characters:
Jace Hunter – Eighteen-year-old suffering growing pains.
Sage Petrov – Jace’s slutty girlfriend.
Capt. Ivan ‘Bull’ Volkov – Retired member of Russia’s Spetsnaz special forces team.
Anya – Bull’s fiancée.
Major Yuri Petrov – A Spetsnaz special forces team who has stolen a miracle drug.
Finn Hunter – Jace’s hardheaded, egotistical father.
Young Jace Hunter is going through his rebellious late teen years picking fights with his dad, Finn. But Finn is too stubborn and hardheaded to back off. His attitude is ‘my way or the highway’.
After Bull’s retirement ceremony his is told to find Major Yuri Petrov and bring two hundred boxes of a ‘miracle drug’ back to Russia. Bull refuses, but a general has Bull’s fiancée kidnapped to force Bull to find and kill his old buddy Yuri and return the two hundred doses of drugs that are worth thirty million dollars each.
Sage’s uncle Yuri offers to pay Sage and Jace twenty-five hundred dollars to deliver the drugs to a contact in New York. But Bull is waiting for them when they return (they stole his van to make the trip). Bull is a ruthless killer with a heart of gold. So he kills Sage, her dad, and her uncle Yuri.
Then he forces Jace to drive him back to where the drug delivery was made where he kills nine more bad guys.
Of course, to add to the conflict Jace’s dad is diagnosed with brain cancer and only has six months to live. He needs a dose of the miracle drug that cures a myriad of diseases. But if Bull returns to Russia without all two hundred doses he and Anya will be punished.
It’s a fast and entertaining read.
The poor editing and sentence structure drag the story down significantly.
Character Development is tongue in cheek.
Details and research are poor.
The plot is standard action hero and a teenager who gets dragged into deadly circumstances.
Note! A word to writers about firearms. Learn about them before making a fool of yourself by writing stupid comments. The Glock company sells magazines for their semiautomatic handguns. Not clips. Professional killers like Bull and Yuri do not wait until they’re ready to shoot to ‘cock’ the gun. Glocks are designed to be carried ‘HOT’ ready to fire by pulling the trigger. There is no safety switch. There are no firearm ‘silencers’. They are suppressors; they will knock the blast down, but it still sounds like a loud gunshot.
There is minimal cursing and no sexual situations.
The story is interesting but doesn’t rise to the thriller level. It relies on a fantasy drug and is a coming of age tale for Jace with a heavy dose of religion thrown in.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Warped Ambition
Author – Debbie TenBrink
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller,
Crime, Woman Sleuth
250 Amazon Pages
No. 43 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 11/13/2020
My impressions: great relationships between characters, solid police investigative work, realistic, parallel paths.
Main Characters:
Megan – 15 year old murder victim, pregnant, parents unaware.
Lt. Joellen Riskin – policewoman, cop husband murdered two years ago.
Detective Lynae Parker – Joellen’s partner and close friend.
The story is set in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Warped Ambition has great interactions between the women sleuths. The dialog is crisp, insightful and often funny as the friends trade witty punches. There are sincere moments when each of them bare their souls. Characters in Jo’s investigative team have diverse personalities and play well against each other and their boss.
A young girls body was discovered in a trash dumpster in a ‘bad’ part of town. Her home was in an affluent neighborhood. Why was she bludgeoned to death and dumped there?
Clues isolate two primary murder suspects early on, but was either really guilty? No conclusive evidence was discovered so the detectives forged ahead on gut feelings and circumstantial evidence. The unsolved murder of Jo’s husband provides a needed distraction from the primary case and lets her anxiety and frustration come through to draw the reader to her emotionally charged loss.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are of professional quality.
The plot is simple but is enhanced by a fast paced, complex and well written writing style.
There is some cursing and no blatant, graphic violence. I highly recommend Warped Ambition for a great detective read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Debbie TenBrink
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller,
Crime, Woman Sleuth
250 Amazon Pages
No. 43 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 11/13/2020
My impressions: great relationships between characters, solid police investigative work, realistic, parallel paths.
Main Characters:
Megan – 15 year old murder victim, pregnant, parents unaware.
Lt. Joellen Riskin – policewoman, cop husband murdered two years ago.
Detective Lynae Parker – Joellen’s partner and close friend.
The story is set in Grand Rapids Michigan.
Warped Ambition has great interactions between the women sleuths. The dialog is crisp, insightful and often funny as the friends trade witty punches. There are sincere moments when each of them bare their souls. Characters in Jo’s investigative team have diverse personalities and play well against each other and their boss.
A young girls body was discovered in a trash dumpster in a ‘bad’ part of town. Her home was in an affluent neighborhood. Why was she bludgeoned to death and dumped there?
Clues isolate two primary murder suspects early on, but was either really guilty? No conclusive evidence was discovered so the detectives forged ahead on gut feelings and circumstantial evidence. The unsolved murder of Jo’s husband provides a needed distraction from the primary case and lets her anxiety and frustration come through to draw the reader to her emotionally charged loss.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are of professional quality.
The plot is simple but is enhanced by a fast paced, complex and well written writing style.
There is some cursing and no blatant, graphic violence. I highly recommend Warped Ambition for a great detective read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Alone at the Gate
Author – Florian Schneider
Genre – Crime Fiction
Word Count - 78,000
Rating – Four stars out of Five
No. 41 - 2020
Posted 11/7/2020
My Impressions: Highly emotional story of three badly damaged people coming together.
Main Characters:
Eric Welsh – Decorated homicide detective, thirty eight years old.
Julian Keller – Immature young man who discovers the only thing he excelled at was drug smuggling.
Sonia Gutierrez – Kidnapped at age twelve and abused by a pedophile.
The story opens with Det. Welsh following a lead to a serial murderer. Instead of arresting the scum, he murder’s him. Eric has a high incidence of on the job shootings as he delivers his brand of justice. He suffers emotional issues from his childhood; he was forced to watch as his wealthy mother was tortured and then murdered.
Julian Keller at age twenty three is an immature, unsuccessful news correspondent going to hotspots in South America searching for the big story that will land him a job with a major news organization. Instead he stumbles into a large sum of money and buys four kilos of cocaine and smuggles it into the U.S. His luck holds and he becomes a major transporter of drugs from South America. Eventually the CIA forces him to use his operation to transfer arms to factions the US government supports in the civil wars there. Finally Julian is forced to accept he is facilitating the torture, mutilation, and murder of hundreds of thousands of people. He is wealthy but paranoid and goes into seclusion for many years.
Sonia Gutierrez was damaged goods at an early age. To escape the pervert who kidnaped and abused her for months, she disemboweled him with a knife. She and her mother are hounded by news reporters until they move in with Det. Welsh who found her shortly after she killed her abuser. She and Eric bond in an unlikely relationship. She wants to be close to him but at the same time holds him away with smart mouthed sarcasm.
All the main characters carry the scars of past relationships gone awry. They are emotional cripples with each coping in their own way.
The editing and sentence structure are subpar and desperately in need of professional guidance.
Details and research indicate at least a passing knowledge of the many locations mentioned.
The plot is a step above the usual drug cartel yarn with detailed insights into the main character’s emotions.
The writing style is complex and takes the reader inside the main character’s heads.
The story was easy to follow until the end when the time jumped thirty years and scenes got out of sequence. It ended leaving too many loose ends and the reader left to choose the ending.
In spite of the flaws, I did enjoy the story and recommend it for readers who enjoy a deeply insightful story.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Florian Schneider
Genre – Crime Fiction
Word Count - 78,000
Rating – Four stars out of Five
No. 41 - 2020
Posted 11/7/2020
My Impressions: Highly emotional story of three badly damaged people coming together.
Main Characters:
Eric Welsh – Decorated homicide detective, thirty eight years old.
Julian Keller – Immature young man who discovers the only thing he excelled at was drug smuggling.
Sonia Gutierrez – Kidnapped at age twelve and abused by a pedophile.
The story opens with Det. Welsh following a lead to a serial murderer. Instead of arresting the scum, he murder’s him. Eric has a high incidence of on the job shootings as he delivers his brand of justice. He suffers emotional issues from his childhood; he was forced to watch as his wealthy mother was tortured and then murdered.
Julian Keller at age twenty three is an immature, unsuccessful news correspondent going to hotspots in South America searching for the big story that will land him a job with a major news organization. Instead he stumbles into a large sum of money and buys four kilos of cocaine and smuggles it into the U.S. His luck holds and he becomes a major transporter of drugs from South America. Eventually the CIA forces him to use his operation to transfer arms to factions the US government supports in the civil wars there. Finally Julian is forced to accept he is facilitating the torture, mutilation, and murder of hundreds of thousands of people. He is wealthy but paranoid and goes into seclusion for many years.
Sonia Gutierrez was damaged goods at an early age. To escape the pervert who kidnaped and abused her for months, she disemboweled him with a knife. She and her mother are hounded by news reporters until they move in with Det. Welsh who found her shortly after she killed her abuser. She and Eric bond in an unlikely relationship. She wants to be close to him but at the same time holds him away with smart mouthed sarcasm.
All the main characters carry the scars of past relationships gone awry. They are emotional cripples with each coping in their own way.
The editing and sentence structure are subpar and desperately in need of professional guidance.
Details and research indicate at least a passing knowledge of the many locations mentioned.
The plot is a step above the usual drug cartel yarn with detailed insights into the main character’s emotions.
The writing style is complex and takes the reader inside the main character’s heads.
The story was easy to follow until the end when the time jumped thirty years and scenes got out of sequence. It ended leaving too many loose ends and the reader left to choose the ending.
In spite of the flaws, I did enjoy the story and recommend it for readers who enjoy a deeply insightful story.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Running to Escape
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Zombie Thriller
Word Count 67,300
Rating Five stars out of five
No. 39 - 2020
Posted 11/2/2020
My Impressions: Excellent zombie apocalypse tale with a touch of young romance.
Main Characters:
Sam Boyle – Twenty-one year old college student reacting to the zombie invasion.
JR Johns – Nineteen-year-old high school graduate whose parents and sister became zombies.
For weeks Sam procrastinated leaving his Oklahoma home even though he believed the worldwide zombie attacks would soon expand to the United States. Online, he’d followed the death and destruction caused in European nations as the governments withheld information from the masses.
The night he left town, he came upon a wreck and saved a young woman from approaching zombies. Thus, began a saga with two people who would gradually grow to appreciate and cherish each other.
Through luck good and bad, they watched mankind react to the pressures caused by fear of the zombies and then that caused by human mavericks. The humans turned out to be a longer lasting terror than the undead.
Upon reaching the Canadian border, they learned the crossing were all closed and guarded. Instead of waiting for the governments to solve the issue, they drove west searching for a suitable place to call home.
Throughout their journey they encountered good people doing dumb and dangerous acts. Some they only observed but others had to dealt with in the harsh new reality they’d been dealt. Sam quickly learned to appreciate having JR along to protect his back. And JR fell in love with Sam as he set about saving her life numerous times.
The editing and sentence structure are professional grade
The main characters are thoroughly developed through long dialogs as they become friends.
Details are adequate for a deteriorating, make believe world.
The plot revolves around the two main characters as they react to a changing world order of zombies and rogues.
The writing style is insightful as Sam and JR grow and adapt to evolving events.
I highly recommend this story for zombie apocalypse fans looking for a realistic, action-packed read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Robert Schobernd
Genre – Zombie Thriller
Word Count 67,300
Rating Five stars out of five
No. 39 - 2020
Posted 11/2/2020
My Impressions: Excellent zombie apocalypse tale with a touch of young romance.
Main Characters:
Sam Boyle – Twenty-one year old college student reacting to the zombie invasion.
JR Johns – Nineteen-year-old high school graduate whose parents and sister became zombies.
For weeks Sam procrastinated leaving his Oklahoma home even though he believed the worldwide zombie attacks would soon expand to the United States. Online, he’d followed the death and destruction caused in European nations as the governments withheld information from the masses.
The night he left town, he came upon a wreck and saved a young woman from approaching zombies. Thus, began a saga with two people who would gradually grow to appreciate and cherish each other.
Through luck good and bad, they watched mankind react to the pressures caused by fear of the zombies and then that caused by human mavericks. The humans turned out to be a longer lasting terror than the undead.
Upon reaching the Canadian border, they learned the crossing were all closed and guarded. Instead of waiting for the governments to solve the issue, they drove west searching for a suitable place to call home.
Throughout their journey they encountered good people doing dumb and dangerous acts. Some they only observed but others had to dealt with in the harsh new reality they’d been dealt. Sam quickly learned to appreciate having JR along to protect his back. And JR fell in love with Sam as he set about saving her life numerous times.
The editing and sentence structure are professional grade
The main characters are thoroughly developed through long dialogs as they become friends.
Details are adequate for a deteriorating, make believe world.
The plot revolves around the two main characters as they react to a changing world order of zombies and rogues.
The writing style is insightful as Sam and JR grow and adapt to evolving events.
I highly recommend this story for zombie apocalypse fans looking for a realistic, action-packed read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Alchemy Factor
Author – Joseph A. Wernhoff
Genre – Action Adventure
Word Count 108,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 39 - 2020
Post 10/26/2020
My Impressions: Excellent action adventure, good hero characters, frequent action, some science fiction.
Main Characters:
Paul McGrath – Wall Street wizard, US Treasury fixer.
Sandra Powiatowski – Mossad agent
The word Alchemy reveals the central plot of this action thriller. Alchemy is the medieval chemical science to discover how to change base metal into gold.
The unlikely antagonist in the story are a self-proclaimed German Nazi leader of the Fourth Reich and a high ranking Chinese banker. The Germans plan to disrupt the world societies by promoting radical terrorist attacks around the globe, and the Chinaman wants to destabilize the world’s financial markets to make the Chinese Yuan the currency of choice over the American dollar. Of course, the good guys can’t let that happen.
Since Paul McGrath is a wealthy, intelligent, muscular, handsome stud and Sandra Powiatowski is a dangerous, intelligent, beauty to make all men drool, there is a romance in the making.
When the main battle begins, the seriously outnumbered good guys are backed up with miniature killer drones with unbelievable technological capability.
The editing is okay, not perfect but acceptable.
Sentence structure is good with a few minor exceptions
Character development is good even for most support characters.
Details are adequate but not excessively overdone.
Research is evident and the science fiction to create deadly weapons is intriguing.
The plot is timely with China wanting world dominance.
I enjoyed the story and recommend it for readers of the action adventure genre.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Joseph A. Wernhoff
Genre – Action Adventure
Word Count 108,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 39 - 2020
Post 10/26/2020
My Impressions: Excellent action adventure, good hero characters, frequent action, some science fiction.
Main Characters:
Paul McGrath – Wall Street wizard, US Treasury fixer.
Sandra Powiatowski – Mossad agent
The word Alchemy reveals the central plot of this action thriller. Alchemy is the medieval chemical science to discover how to change base metal into gold.
The unlikely antagonist in the story are a self-proclaimed German Nazi leader of the Fourth Reich and a high ranking Chinese banker. The Germans plan to disrupt the world societies by promoting radical terrorist attacks around the globe, and the Chinaman wants to destabilize the world’s financial markets to make the Chinese Yuan the currency of choice over the American dollar. Of course, the good guys can’t let that happen.
Since Paul McGrath is a wealthy, intelligent, muscular, handsome stud and Sandra Powiatowski is a dangerous, intelligent, beauty to make all men drool, there is a romance in the making.
When the main battle begins, the seriously outnumbered good guys are backed up with miniature killer drones with unbelievable technological capability.
The editing is okay, not perfect but acceptable.
Sentence structure is good with a few minor exceptions
Character development is good even for most support characters.
Details are adequate but not excessively overdone.
Research is evident and the science fiction to create deadly weapons is intriguing.
The plot is timely with China wanting world dominance.
I enjoyed the story and recommend it for readers of the action adventure genre.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Boy and the Lake
Author – Adam Pelzman
Genre – Crime, Family Saga
Word Count 81,000
Rating - Four stars out of five
No. 35 - 2020
Posted 10/16/2020
My Impressions: Excellent coming of age story with brutal murders.
Main Characters:
????? Baum – The main characters name is never given.
Lillian Baum – The MCs mother.
Abe Baum – The MCs father.
Helen Loenthal – Resident loved and admired by almost everyone who is found floating dead in the lake.
Sid Loenthal – Helen’s husband.
I don’t usually read coming of age stories, but The Boy and the Lake is exceptional.
When Jewish families are denied access to New Jersey’s better upmarket housing, they settle in Red Meadow Lake. The lake itself fascinates the main character (whose given name is never revealed). His dysfunctional family can’t afford to build at the lake for many years even though the father is a doctor because his younger sister has a rare and debilitating disease that drains their finances. When the girl dies, the family moves to the lake.
The main character’s life changes dramatically when he discovers the corpse of a woman he greatly admires floating in the water at his grandfather’s boat dock.
His goal becomes learning if the woman died accidentally or if her surgeon husband murdered her. His view is not shared by anyone else.
As the young man struggles to adjust to maturity, he realizes his mother is a hateful, drunken sociopath. Unfortunately his emotional trauma and anxiety attacks drive him to alcoholism.
I highly recommend The Boy and the Lake to all readers. It’s provocative and deeply moving. Judged on the story line alone it’s a five star book.
The editing and sentence structure are poor and drag the rating down to a four star.
Character development is in depth and thorough.
Details and research are adequate.
The plot revolves around a Jewish community and how their persecution drives them to isolate in a small group.
The writing style is understated and conveys deep feelings and personal failures.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Adam Pelzman
Genre – Crime, Family Saga
Word Count 81,000
Rating - Four stars out of five
No. 35 - 2020
Posted 10/16/2020
My Impressions: Excellent coming of age story with brutal murders.
Main Characters:
????? Baum – The main characters name is never given.
Lillian Baum – The MCs mother.
Abe Baum – The MCs father.
Helen Loenthal – Resident loved and admired by almost everyone who is found floating dead in the lake.
Sid Loenthal – Helen’s husband.
I don’t usually read coming of age stories, but The Boy and the Lake is exceptional.
When Jewish families are denied access to New Jersey’s better upmarket housing, they settle in Red Meadow Lake. The lake itself fascinates the main character (whose given name is never revealed). His dysfunctional family can’t afford to build at the lake for many years even though the father is a doctor because his younger sister has a rare and debilitating disease that drains their finances. When the girl dies, the family moves to the lake.
The main character’s life changes dramatically when he discovers the corpse of a woman he greatly admires floating in the water at his grandfather’s boat dock.
His goal becomes learning if the woman died accidentally or if her surgeon husband murdered her. His view is not shared by anyone else.
As the young man struggles to adjust to maturity, he realizes his mother is a hateful, drunken sociopath. Unfortunately his emotional trauma and anxiety attacks drive him to alcoholism.
I highly recommend The Boy and the Lake to all readers. It’s provocative and deeply moving. Judged on the story line alone it’s a five star book.
The editing and sentence structure are poor and drag the rating down to a four star.
Character development is in depth and thorough.
Details and research are adequate.
The plot revolves around a Jewish community and how their persecution drives them to isolate in a small group.
The writing style is understated and conveys deep feelings and personal failures.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Prey For Me
Author – John Casti
Genre – Psychological thriller
Word Count 83,800
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 34 - 2020
Posted 10/9/2020
My Impressions: A solid psychopath murder story.
Main Characters:
Victor Luigi Safire – 52 year old mathematics professor who attracts young women.
Elizabeth Alexandra Lynne (Alex) – 27 year old stock analyst, psychopath killer
Natalie – late thirties, Victor’s latest fling.
The story opens with a young unnamed woman luring her partner to a lonely stretch of cliffs on the English coast. She believes the older man is tiring of her and about to drop her; only she drops him first from a 300 foot cliff to the rocks below. Not a woman to trifle with.
Enter Victor. Alex approaches him to develop a financial simulator for the stock market firm she works for in London. She’s beautiful, young—half his age—and offers unbridled sex. Kinky sex. BSDM kinky and dangerous.
Victor learns but is slow to accept Alex is extremely controlling and jealous. Controlling to the point of torturing him and threatening his life if he doesn’t conform to her whims.
Enter Natalie. Victor meets her at a party when he is back home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not being one to let a current relationship deter him from chasing a new challenge, he invites Natalie to visit him in London before they travel to Europe. He can’t imagine how Alex could learn of his unfaithfulness, but, of course, she does.
Victor wants to distance himself from Alex but is hesitant to do so lest he antagonize her; he suspects she murdered her boss at the firm they both work for.
The ending was what I expected for an unbalanced psychopath.
In spite of its issues, the story is intense and held my interest.
The editing and sentence structure are poor.
Character development is good for the main characters
Details of food and drink are overwhelming and detract from the main plot.
Research of city locations is again overwhelming and detracts from the main plot.
The plot is kinky but not implausible.
The writing style is crisp but depends on too much miscellaneous detail that caused me to skip ahead.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John Casti
Genre – Psychological thriller
Word Count 83,800
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 34 - 2020
Posted 10/9/2020
My Impressions: A solid psychopath murder story.
Main Characters:
Victor Luigi Safire – 52 year old mathematics professor who attracts young women.
Elizabeth Alexandra Lynne (Alex) – 27 year old stock analyst, psychopath killer
Natalie – late thirties, Victor’s latest fling.
The story opens with a young unnamed woman luring her partner to a lonely stretch of cliffs on the English coast. She believes the older man is tiring of her and about to drop her; only she drops him first from a 300 foot cliff to the rocks below. Not a woman to trifle with.
Enter Victor. Alex approaches him to develop a financial simulator for the stock market firm she works for in London. She’s beautiful, young—half his age—and offers unbridled sex. Kinky sex. BSDM kinky and dangerous.
Victor learns but is slow to accept Alex is extremely controlling and jealous. Controlling to the point of torturing him and threatening his life if he doesn’t conform to her whims.
Enter Natalie. Victor meets her at a party when he is back home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not being one to let a current relationship deter him from chasing a new challenge, he invites Natalie to visit him in London before they travel to Europe. He can’t imagine how Alex could learn of his unfaithfulness, but, of course, she does.
Victor wants to distance himself from Alex but is hesitant to do so lest he antagonize her; he suspects she murdered her boss at the firm they both work for.
The ending was what I expected for an unbalanced psychopath.
In spite of its issues, the story is intense and held my interest.
The editing and sentence structure are poor.
Character development is good for the main characters
Details of food and drink are overwhelming and detract from the main plot.
Research of city locations is again overwhelming and detracts from the main plot.
The plot is kinky but not implausible.
The writing style is crisp but depends on too much miscellaneous detail that caused me to skip ahead.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Judge Roth’s Law
Author – Bill Sage
Genre – Legal, Crime, Thriller
355 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 37 – 2020
Posted 10/3/2020
My impressions: blatant liar, controlling, dangerous, brutal, evil, injustice, scumbag criminals.
Main Characters:
Judge Al Roth – Judge in Orange County, California Superior Court.
Jake Gertner – Mob hit man with no conscience, enjoys intimidation and killing.
Linda – Roth’s naïve girlfriend, one of very few decent people in the story.
Judge Roth’s Law is the story of an anti-hero. Roth is a manipulative, self-serving egomaniac who can rationalize setting up a murder to protect his best friend who is a cold-blooded killer. He and Jake grew up aspiring to be like the geriatric members of the old Purple Gang they hung out with in Detroit. Some of the stories characters get the punishment they deserve while others escape justice and continue their murderous ways.
Roth continuously lies to Linda whom he professes to love and will marry. His actions toward her are totally controlling. But she accepts it.
The plot centers around a murder contract Jake Gertner failed to complete because the target was confined to jail for his own murder charge. Roth cooks up a plan to get the target freed on bond so he is accessible to Gertner.
The action is fast and entertaining with several involved plot twists.
A large number of fragmented, incomplete sentences are used, but I didn’t find them objectionable.
The editing is good with only a few minor errors. Sentence structure is good.
Details of court procedure indicate knowledge of the court system.
The plot is intense, complex and interesting.
Judge Roth’s Law is a well told tale where a fragment of justice is achieved illegally.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Bill Sage
Genre – Legal, Crime, Thriller
355 Amazon Pages
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 37 – 2020
Posted 10/3/2020
My impressions: blatant liar, controlling, dangerous, brutal, evil, injustice, scumbag criminals.
Main Characters:
Judge Al Roth – Judge in Orange County, California Superior Court.
Jake Gertner – Mob hit man with no conscience, enjoys intimidation and killing.
Linda – Roth’s naïve girlfriend, one of very few decent people in the story.
Judge Roth’s Law is the story of an anti-hero. Roth is a manipulative, self-serving egomaniac who can rationalize setting up a murder to protect his best friend who is a cold-blooded killer. He and Jake grew up aspiring to be like the geriatric members of the old Purple Gang they hung out with in Detroit. Some of the stories characters get the punishment they deserve while others escape justice and continue their murderous ways.
Roth continuously lies to Linda whom he professes to love and will marry. His actions toward her are totally controlling. But she accepts it.
The plot centers around a murder contract Jake Gertner failed to complete because the target was confined to jail for his own murder charge. Roth cooks up a plan to get the target freed on bond so he is accessible to Gertner.
The action is fast and entertaining with several involved plot twists.
A large number of fragmented, incomplete sentences are used, but I didn’t find them objectionable.
The editing is good with only a few minor errors. Sentence structure is good.
Details of court procedure indicate knowledge of the court system.
The plot is intense, complex and interesting.
Judge Roth’s Law is a well told tale where a fragment of justice is achieved illegally.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – A Disappearance
Author – G. E. Forth
Genre – Thriller, Espionage
Word Count 99,500
Rating Four stars out of five.
No. 33- 2020
Posted 9/26/2020
My Impressions: Fast paced action filled thriller with many characters.
Main Characters:
Robert Chase - Ex-CIA agent believed to be dead.
Samantha D’Aubrisson – Robert’s wife, beautiful lady of mystery.
Reynolds Merrill - CIA
Sophia Kaminski – Popov’s 14-year-old goddaughter, kidnapped and sold into the US as a sex slave.
Miki Lukin – Ex-KGB officer turned criminal. Kidnapped Gen. Popov’s goddaughter.
General Alexander Popov – Deputy Director of Russian FSB security section.
General Anatoly Gulin – In charge of Transneft the state oil monopoly.
Robert Chase is believed dead by the entire world except for a small group at the CIA. He is now a ‘fixer’ and specializes in finding and kidnaping high level targets.
Reynolds Merrill is contacted by Gen. Popov after his goddaughter was kidnapped by Miki Lukin’s crew and sent to Mexico to be ‘trained’ to be a sex slave to a rich Chinese businessman living in Los Angeles.
Along the way the plight of hundreds of young women lured by promises of good jobs in America or outright kidnapped to be made into prostitutes is examined and constitutes a large segment of the story.
While Chase’s crew goes to the US to find Sophia and free her from her fate as a temporary sex slave to be disposed of when her ‘owner’ tires of her, Chase stays behind in Mexico to study the forced sex trade originating there. He is captured by a Russian assassin and taken to Russia. He’s held in secluded ‘prison’ to be tortured to learn the inner workings of the CIA.
General Popov reneges on his agreement with CIA’s Merrill to work together and has to be taught a painful lesson as is Gen. Gulin.
There are no firearm silencers and a sound suppressor doesn’t make a 9mm pistol sound like ‘poof’. Pour research.
Poor editing and sentence structure impact the reading greatly.
Character development is good for the main characters.
Details are sparse but adequate in most cases.
Research isn’t terrible but not thorough. ‘Silencers’ do not silence a gun shot
The plot is standard good guy chasing bad human traffickers and destroying their organization but done well.
The author’s writing style is fast and crisp.
The story is a good read and I recommend it despite the errors.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – G. E. Forth
Genre – Thriller, Espionage
Word Count 99,500
Rating Four stars out of five.
No. 33- 2020
Posted 9/26/2020
My Impressions: Fast paced action filled thriller with many characters.
Main Characters:
Robert Chase - Ex-CIA agent believed to be dead.
Samantha D’Aubrisson – Robert’s wife, beautiful lady of mystery.
Reynolds Merrill - CIA
Sophia Kaminski – Popov’s 14-year-old goddaughter, kidnapped and sold into the US as a sex slave.
Miki Lukin – Ex-KGB officer turned criminal. Kidnapped Gen. Popov’s goddaughter.
General Alexander Popov – Deputy Director of Russian FSB security section.
General Anatoly Gulin – In charge of Transneft the state oil monopoly.
Robert Chase is believed dead by the entire world except for a small group at the CIA. He is now a ‘fixer’ and specializes in finding and kidnaping high level targets.
Reynolds Merrill is contacted by Gen. Popov after his goddaughter was kidnapped by Miki Lukin’s crew and sent to Mexico to be ‘trained’ to be a sex slave to a rich Chinese businessman living in Los Angeles.
Along the way the plight of hundreds of young women lured by promises of good jobs in America or outright kidnapped to be made into prostitutes is examined and constitutes a large segment of the story.
While Chase’s crew goes to the US to find Sophia and free her from her fate as a temporary sex slave to be disposed of when her ‘owner’ tires of her, Chase stays behind in Mexico to study the forced sex trade originating there. He is captured by a Russian assassin and taken to Russia. He’s held in secluded ‘prison’ to be tortured to learn the inner workings of the CIA.
General Popov reneges on his agreement with CIA’s Merrill to work together and has to be taught a painful lesson as is Gen. Gulin.
There are no firearm silencers and a sound suppressor doesn’t make a 9mm pistol sound like ‘poof’. Pour research.
Poor editing and sentence structure impact the reading greatly.
Character development is good for the main characters.
Details are sparse but adequate in most cases.
Research isn’t terrible but not thorough. ‘Silencers’ do not silence a gun shot
The plot is standard good guy chasing bad human traffickers and destroying their organization but done well.
The author’s writing style is fast and crisp.
The story is a good read and I recommend it despite the errors.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Lost Time
Author – Winona Kent
Genre – Mystery, Amateur P.I.
Word Count 68,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 36- 2020
Posted 9/18/2020
My Impressions: Good cozy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple.
Main Characters:
Jason ‘Figgis’ Davy – Fortyish musician, amateur sleuth.
Mandy Green – Jason’s seventy year old mother, half of the Figgis/Green band.
Duncan Stopher – Mysterious person driving an investigation of a long missing teenager.
Pippa Gladstone – sixteen year old girl who went missing in 1974.
A large cast of support characters.
Jason Davy agrees to perform in a last band tour with his mother, Mandy Green. She is a founding member of the Figgis Green band. Her husband is dead, so her son, Jason, has agreed to replace his father on the final tour. Jason is also an amateur sleuth with a reputation for finding missing people.
Most of the story concerns the band members practicing and arguing incessantly. Jason also has a culinary chronical blog where he posts pictures and details of all his meals. I found that boring and silly.
During a break, Jason is approached at a restaurant by a man who identifies himself as Duncan Stopher. He petitions Jason to search for a young girl who disappeared when sixteen years of age in 1974. A short time later the same man is found murdered, but his name is not Duncan Stopher. Jason planned to refuse the case but is intrigued that the dead man assumed an identity to approach him. With his curiosity aroused, Jason starts his investigation. Soon after Jason is attacked when he enters his hotel room. The thug is surprised when Jason beats the hell out of him. Then mysterious people appear to clean the room and dispose of the attacker.
The story is more of a cozy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple than a hardcore murder mystery.
Toward the end, a plot is exposed that will unravel plans of a person aspiring to high office.
Before the ending Jason has to deal with thugs, the police, and Britain’s M15 intelligence service.
The story contains some hardcore cursing and no sex scenes.
The editing and sentence structure are unusually good.
Character Development is good for the main characters and okay for support characters.
Details and research are good and carry the story
The plot is fresh, intricate, and complex but too involved in the workings of a band for my taste.
The writing style is relaxed but contains many false leads and conflicting evidence.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Winona Kent
Genre – Mystery, Amateur P.I.
Word Count 68,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 36- 2020
Posted 9/18/2020
My Impressions: Good cozy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple.
Main Characters:
Jason ‘Figgis’ Davy – Fortyish musician, amateur sleuth.
Mandy Green – Jason’s seventy year old mother, half of the Figgis/Green band.
Duncan Stopher – Mysterious person driving an investigation of a long missing teenager.
Pippa Gladstone – sixteen year old girl who went missing in 1974.
A large cast of support characters.
Jason Davy agrees to perform in a last band tour with his mother, Mandy Green. She is a founding member of the Figgis Green band. Her husband is dead, so her son, Jason, has agreed to replace his father on the final tour. Jason is also an amateur sleuth with a reputation for finding missing people.
Most of the story concerns the band members practicing and arguing incessantly. Jason also has a culinary chronical blog where he posts pictures and details of all his meals. I found that boring and silly.
During a break, Jason is approached at a restaurant by a man who identifies himself as Duncan Stopher. He petitions Jason to search for a young girl who disappeared when sixteen years of age in 1974. A short time later the same man is found murdered, but his name is not Duncan Stopher. Jason planned to refuse the case but is intrigued that the dead man assumed an identity to approach him. With his curiosity aroused, Jason starts his investigation. Soon after Jason is attacked when he enters his hotel room. The thug is surprised when Jason beats the hell out of him. Then mysterious people appear to clean the room and dispose of the attacker.
The story is more of a cozy mystery in the vein of Miss Marple than a hardcore murder mystery.
Toward the end, a plot is exposed that will unravel plans of a person aspiring to high office.
Before the ending Jason has to deal with thugs, the police, and Britain’s M15 intelligence service.
The story contains some hardcore cursing and no sex scenes.
The editing and sentence structure are unusually good.
Character Development is good for the main characters and okay for support characters.
Details and research are good and carry the story
The plot is fresh, intricate, and complex but too involved in the workings of a band for my taste.
The writing style is relaxed but contains many false leads and conflicting evidence.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Short Cut
(The Reluctant Hustler, Book 2)
Author – J. Gregory Smith
Genre – Crime - Thriller
Word Count 80,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 32 - 2020
Posted 9/10/2020
My Impressions: Exciting, tongue in cheek, lots of action.
Main Characters:
Kyle Logan – Works for a military contractor in Afghanistan
Rollie – Kyle’s seventy year old friend, ex- Marine sniper
Ryan Buckley – Hustler supreme, worked with Kyle, set him up with hustles without telling him.
Bettle Bentley – Nice guy, easily taken advantage of.
V.P. – Hacker supreme
Sandy – Kyles girlfriend who operates a physical fitness training business.
Kyle was injured in a deal put together by his crooked friend Ryan Buckley. That scam blew up with Kyle’s wife being captured and Kyle almost being killed. Ryan did die, but no one is talking about it. Most of his acquaintances believe he is still alive but has gone into hiding.
Kyle learns Ryan set him up to take over the many nefarious schemes Ryan already had in place. Those provide lots of money and abundant danger. But then Kyle learns Ryan was a sort of modern day Robbing Hood who protected and helped many people.
Kyle’s wife and he divorced after she was captured, and he was knifed. But don’t feel sorry for him: he has a new girlfriend; but she has a problem too. Her landlord has raised her rent and used a crooked doctor to refer new patients to her physical training business. Kyle soon learns Dr. Bones is also a horrible slum landlord.
As the story gains traction, Kyle learns Tom, another of Ryan’s crew is involved in a plot to bring a large fortune in diamonds here from Iraq for a wealthy Iraqi called Mr. Beautiful. Kyle is supposed to be up to speed on the details and in charge of the illegal operation but knows nothing about it.
In the end, Kyle outmaneuvers all the bad guys with the help of people on Ryan’s contact list and all ends well.
The story is filled with good guys, thugs, an Irish gang, and black ops characters.
I enjoyed the story because it’s fast paced and funny at times.
The editing is poorly done, but sentence structure is passable.
Character development is adequate for the main characters.
Details are adequate to carry the story.
The plot is different and interesting.
The writing style is wordy but easy to read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
(The Reluctant Hustler, Book 2)
Author – J. Gregory Smith
Genre – Crime - Thriller
Word Count 80,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 32 - 2020
Posted 9/10/2020
My Impressions: Exciting, tongue in cheek, lots of action.
Main Characters:
Kyle Logan – Works for a military contractor in Afghanistan
Rollie – Kyle’s seventy year old friend, ex- Marine sniper
Ryan Buckley – Hustler supreme, worked with Kyle, set him up with hustles without telling him.
Bettle Bentley – Nice guy, easily taken advantage of.
V.P. – Hacker supreme
Sandy – Kyles girlfriend who operates a physical fitness training business.
Kyle was injured in a deal put together by his crooked friend Ryan Buckley. That scam blew up with Kyle’s wife being captured and Kyle almost being killed. Ryan did die, but no one is talking about it. Most of his acquaintances believe he is still alive but has gone into hiding.
Kyle learns Ryan set him up to take over the many nefarious schemes Ryan already had in place. Those provide lots of money and abundant danger. But then Kyle learns Ryan was a sort of modern day Robbing Hood who protected and helped many people.
Kyle’s wife and he divorced after she was captured, and he was knifed. But don’t feel sorry for him: he has a new girlfriend; but she has a problem too. Her landlord has raised her rent and used a crooked doctor to refer new patients to her physical training business. Kyle soon learns Dr. Bones is also a horrible slum landlord.
As the story gains traction, Kyle learns Tom, another of Ryan’s crew is involved in a plot to bring a large fortune in diamonds here from Iraq for a wealthy Iraqi called Mr. Beautiful. Kyle is supposed to be up to speed on the details and in charge of the illegal operation but knows nothing about it.
In the end, Kyle outmaneuvers all the bad guys with the help of people on Ryan’s contact list and all ends well.
The story is filled with good guys, thugs, an Irish gang, and black ops characters.
I enjoyed the story because it’s fast paced and funny at times.
The editing is poorly done, but sentence structure is passable.
Character development is adequate for the main characters.
Details are adequate to carry the story.
The plot is different and interesting.
The writing style is wordy but easy to read.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Strange Karma
Author – Willow Healy
Genre – Adventure-Thriller-Mystery
Word Count 71,270
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 30 - 2020
Posted 9/5/2020
My Impressions: Excellent tale of subterfuge and greed, great characters and plot
Main Characters:
Cynthia Graham – Twenty-seven-year-old descendant of Andrew Irving who died climbing Mt. Everest in 1923.
Dorje – Nepal Sherpa mountain climber, businessman, village elder. Ex-British Gurkha soldier.
Paul Bellame – Cynthis’s dad’s billionaire boss who wants to possess her.
Jon White – Professor on a mountain clime to the top of Ama Dablam mountain.
Ang – Thief wanting to make Dorje’s families’ mountain trekking business fail.
Alden Droiter – Engineer on an airport expansion project, friend of Dorje.
The Foreigner - An evil, mysterious foreign national intent on becoming wealthy through crime.
Cynthia Graham has had a troubled life. Her mother died in a house fire when she was eight, and she grew up knowing her father was a habitual gambler who constantly weaseled money from her to pay his debts. She was also disappointed in his choice of girlfriends who were her age or younger. Her father was a weak worm manipulated by his billionaire employer who wanted to own Cynthia. The father pushed her to again date Paul so he can milk money from her after she is married to Paul
She was shocked when a letter arrived from a British barrister stating her grandmother on her mother’s side made her the sole heir to her estate. Cynthia travelled to England to claim her inheritance: a small amount of money and a rural cottage. In the cottage, she read letters sent by her grandfather to her grandmother and followed clues to discover a large, uncut red diamond. She was an instant millionaire. Her grandfather, Andrew Young, sent the diamond to his love, Emma, days before he died while attempting to scale Mt. Everest.
Curious about her grandfather, she booked a climb on nearby Mt. Ama Dablam in sight of Mt. Everest but easier to climb. She intended to write a book about her grandfather’s failed 1923 attempt to scale Mt. Everest based on local color.
While in Nepal she met Dorje the climb leader and was attracted to the forty-two-year-old mountain man.
Unknown to Cynthia, a dastardly thief has learned of the existence of another large, red diamond. Her diamond The Foreigner, as he is known, intends to steal Cynthia’s diamond and murder her.
Toward the end there is heavy religious mysticism concerning the Buddhist monks and an old Sherpa.
The editing is poor. I struggled to justify a five star rating and did so on the strength of the plot and story-telling.
The sentence structure is good with few exceptions.
Character development provides a through insight into the main characters and several support characters.
Details of the 1923 mountain expedition and the present scenes are well covered.
Research is evident in the information concerning mountain climbing in general.
The plot is fresh and exciting with danger and conflict galore
The writing style is fast, intense, and well-written.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Willow Healy
Genre – Adventure-Thriller-Mystery
Word Count 71,270
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 30 - 2020
Posted 9/5/2020
My Impressions: Excellent tale of subterfuge and greed, great characters and plot
Main Characters:
Cynthia Graham – Twenty-seven-year-old descendant of Andrew Irving who died climbing Mt. Everest in 1923.
Dorje – Nepal Sherpa mountain climber, businessman, village elder. Ex-British Gurkha soldier.
Paul Bellame – Cynthis’s dad’s billionaire boss who wants to possess her.
Jon White – Professor on a mountain clime to the top of Ama Dablam mountain.
Ang – Thief wanting to make Dorje’s families’ mountain trekking business fail.
Alden Droiter – Engineer on an airport expansion project, friend of Dorje.
The Foreigner - An evil, mysterious foreign national intent on becoming wealthy through crime.
Cynthia Graham has had a troubled life. Her mother died in a house fire when she was eight, and she grew up knowing her father was a habitual gambler who constantly weaseled money from her to pay his debts. She was also disappointed in his choice of girlfriends who were her age or younger. Her father was a weak worm manipulated by his billionaire employer who wanted to own Cynthia. The father pushed her to again date Paul so he can milk money from her after she is married to Paul
She was shocked when a letter arrived from a British barrister stating her grandmother on her mother’s side made her the sole heir to her estate. Cynthia travelled to England to claim her inheritance: a small amount of money and a rural cottage. In the cottage, she read letters sent by her grandfather to her grandmother and followed clues to discover a large, uncut red diamond. She was an instant millionaire. Her grandfather, Andrew Young, sent the diamond to his love, Emma, days before he died while attempting to scale Mt. Everest.
Curious about her grandfather, she booked a climb on nearby Mt. Ama Dablam in sight of Mt. Everest but easier to climb. She intended to write a book about her grandfather’s failed 1923 attempt to scale Mt. Everest based on local color.
While in Nepal she met Dorje the climb leader and was attracted to the forty-two-year-old mountain man.
Unknown to Cynthia, a dastardly thief has learned of the existence of another large, red diamond. Her diamond The Foreigner, as he is known, intends to steal Cynthia’s diamond and murder her.
Toward the end there is heavy religious mysticism concerning the Buddhist monks and an old Sherpa.
The editing is poor. I struggled to justify a five star rating and did so on the strength of the plot and story-telling.
The sentence structure is good with few exceptions.
Character development provides a through insight into the main characters and several support characters.
Details of the 1923 mountain expedition and the present scenes are well covered.
Research is evident in the information concerning mountain climbing in general.
The plot is fresh and exciting with danger and conflict galore
The writing style is fast, intense, and well-written.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – The Roads Chosen
Author – Ben Carlyle
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count 118,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 22-1 - 2020
Posted 8/31/2020
Main Characters:
Sam Mitchell – British citizen and world traveler
Rebecca Liscombe – Sam’s lover.
Boris Voikcvich –Sam’s friend and a smuggler of material goods and damaged people.
A large part of The Roads Chosen follows Samir Mozhar (Sam Mitchell) as he walks and hitches rides across The Republic of Kazakhstan while traveling the ancient Silk Road; it’s a network of trade routes stretching from China to Southern Europe. Sam ran away from his lover in London and travelled for six years before taking a job with an oil services company. While there he uncovered a network of financial transactions involving money laundering leading to a well organized, murderous, worldwide Russian mafia organization. The heads of the criminal group are ex-KGB members from Russia who are proficient in the use of harsh interrogation methods and murder.
When Sam’s meddling is discovered he tries to escape. He avoids the police but is injured. Sam contacts a friend in Russia, Boris Voikcvich. Boris and his entire family are smugglers of stolen materials and damaged citizens. Many survivors of Russian mafia have been brutalized, raped, or tortured. Boris’s family is part of a large, well organized underground railroad giving sanctuary and hope to the mentally and physically broken flotsam left by the criminals.
The criminals want Sam at all cost because he has evidence of their money laundering. His picture is posted countrywide on TV and in newspapers stating he is wanted for rape and murder. This, of course, puts Boris and his family along with their co-conspirators in danger as Sam is hidden and nursed back to good health.
The plot is complex, and readers need to pay close attention to subtle clues throughout.
Much of the story focuses on Russian and Kazakhstan history and social order.
The editing and sentence structure are crisp and professional.
Character development is through for the main characters.
Details are abundant, descriptive, and carefully laid out for disciplined readers.
Research of Russian life and surrounding details are apparent.
The plot is complex and extremely involved with a huge cast of characters.
There is minor, infrequent cursing.
I heartily recommend this exciting story of foreign intrigue for fans of complex international thrillers.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Ben Carlyle
Genre – Crime Thriller
Word Count 118,000
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 22-1 - 2020
Posted 8/31/2020
Main Characters:
Sam Mitchell – British citizen and world traveler
Rebecca Liscombe – Sam’s lover.
Boris Voikcvich –Sam’s friend and a smuggler of material goods and damaged people.
A large part of The Roads Chosen follows Samir Mozhar (Sam Mitchell) as he walks and hitches rides across The Republic of Kazakhstan while traveling the ancient Silk Road; it’s a network of trade routes stretching from China to Southern Europe. Sam ran away from his lover in London and travelled for six years before taking a job with an oil services company. While there he uncovered a network of financial transactions involving money laundering leading to a well organized, murderous, worldwide Russian mafia organization. The heads of the criminal group are ex-KGB members from Russia who are proficient in the use of harsh interrogation methods and murder.
When Sam’s meddling is discovered he tries to escape. He avoids the police but is injured. Sam contacts a friend in Russia, Boris Voikcvich. Boris and his entire family are smugglers of stolen materials and damaged citizens. Many survivors of Russian mafia have been brutalized, raped, or tortured. Boris’s family is part of a large, well organized underground railroad giving sanctuary and hope to the mentally and physically broken flotsam left by the criminals.
The criminals want Sam at all cost because he has evidence of their money laundering. His picture is posted countrywide on TV and in newspapers stating he is wanted for rape and murder. This, of course, puts Boris and his family along with their co-conspirators in danger as Sam is hidden and nursed back to good health.
The plot is complex, and readers need to pay close attention to subtle clues throughout.
Much of the story focuses on Russian and Kazakhstan history and social order.
The editing and sentence structure are crisp and professional.
Character development is through for the main characters.
Details are abundant, descriptive, and carefully laid out for disciplined readers.
Research of Russian life and surrounding details are apparent.
The plot is complex and extremely involved with a huge cast of characters.
There is minor, infrequent cursing.
I heartily recommend this exciting story of foreign intrigue for fans of complex international thrillers.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Moonshiner's Justice
Author – Jeremy Perry
Genre – Action/Adventure
147 Amazon Pages (about 45,000 words)
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 33 - 2020
Posted 8/29/2020
This is a novella length story set in 1923 in eastern Kentucky.
My impressions: loving caring family members, self-sufficient, hard independent people, vigilante justice,
Main Characters:
Frank Jamison – bootlegger.
Raymond Jamison – Frank’s 13 year old son.
Ansel Jamison – Frank’s father.
Clyde Brown – Frank’s good friend.
Moonshiner’s Justice is an excellent story of greed, betrayal, and revenge. Frank is identified to the Federal Infernal Revenue officers as an illegal whiskey producer. He is known and respected throughout the rural area where his family lives for producing the best white lightening ever sold in a quart jar. But his fame and notoriety has drawn the attention of greedy folks who want his business. Two Internal Revenue agents confront Frank as they are destroying his still and arrest him. He is charged, convicted, and sent to prison.
The matriarch of this close family arrives to watch over his son’s family. This is when the main action of the story begins to occur.
But the crime plot is only one part of this tale. In the midst of this proud, loving family is Raymond’s coming of age journey as he deals with loss, betrayal, and the responsibility of manhood.
I can proudly highly recommend this heartfelt story.
The editing is excellent, almost perfect. Sentence structure is above the norm also.
Character Development is good, especially for novella length story.
Details are adequate for a tale told mainly in the forest.
The plot is simple but endearing. Much emphasis is placed on the Jamison family’s relationships and principles.
The writing style is simple but crisp.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Jeremy Perry
Genre – Action/Adventure
147 Amazon Pages (about 45,000 words)
Rating 5 stars out of 5
No. 33 - 2020
Posted 8/29/2020
This is a novella length story set in 1923 in eastern Kentucky.
My impressions: loving caring family members, self-sufficient, hard independent people, vigilante justice,
Main Characters:
Frank Jamison – bootlegger.
Raymond Jamison – Frank’s 13 year old son.
Ansel Jamison – Frank’s father.
Clyde Brown – Frank’s good friend.
Moonshiner’s Justice is an excellent story of greed, betrayal, and revenge. Frank is identified to the Federal Infernal Revenue officers as an illegal whiskey producer. He is known and respected throughout the rural area where his family lives for producing the best white lightening ever sold in a quart jar. But his fame and notoriety has drawn the attention of greedy folks who want his business. Two Internal Revenue agents confront Frank as they are destroying his still and arrest him. He is charged, convicted, and sent to prison.
The matriarch of this close family arrives to watch over his son’s family. This is when the main action of the story begins to occur.
But the crime plot is only one part of this tale. In the midst of this proud, loving family is Raymond’s coming of age journey as he deals with loss, betrayal, and the responsibility of manhood.
I can proudly highly recommend this heartfelt story.
The editing is excellent, almost perfect. Sentence structure is above the norm also.
Character Development is good, especially for novella length story.
Details are adequate for a tale told mainly in the forest.
The plot is simple but endearing. Much emphasis is placed on the Jamison family’s relationships and principles.
The writing style is simple but crisp.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Lost in Wildwood
Author – Jason Ryan Dale
Genre – M, S, T.
276 Amazon Pages
No. 31 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8-25-2020
My Impressions: intense, desperate, brutal, bottom feeders, slime bums, liar, mental case, weird.
The main character, and the only one worth mentioning, is 21-year-old Joshua Keogh. He’s a burglar and murderer who spouts poetry to a girl he’s attracted to. She is nice to him but doesn’t want a relationship with him.
Joshua was tutored in the art of residential burglary by his addicted father. He attempted to attend college but dropped out because he wasn’t interested. He is a loner and never feels comfortable in large groups, especially if strangers are present.
He has close friends but can turn on them viciously if he feels threatened. He can also be talked into dangerous things he knows he shouldn’t be involved in. Eventually that leads him to the inner circle of the local crime bosses. When the police take an interest in him, he reviews his list of friends and acquaintances to determine who might have been responsible for fingering him. The ending left me wanting to know more.
Joshua is intelligent and caring about his family, but I felt he exhibited traits of a sociopath and at times of a psychopath.
The editing, sentence structure and character development of Joshua are good.
Details are sparse but adequate to the story.
The plot is complex and delves into a flawed young man who has been taught to be a cold thief.
The writing style is wordy and overly sophisticated for the crowd of characters created. Frequent flashbacks of back story are inserted to explain why Joshua has developed the ways he has.
Some of the prose was too complicated and painted confused, erratic pictures instead of instilling clear images in my min. Examples:
, both their faces hanging loose over angry eyes.
The wind was whispering its secrets to the leaves, and they responded with hundreds of sighing green voices.
They were the kind of dark, unwavering eyes that held the bearer’s intelligence and wisdom somewhere in the iris.
This story was interesting in a perverse way as a character study of an intelligent man with deep emotional issues.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Jason Ryan Dale
Genre – M, S, T.
276 Amazon Pages
No. 31 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8-25-2020
My Impressions: intense, desperate, brutal, bottom feeders, slime bums, liar, mental case, weird.
The main character, and the only one worth mentioning, is 21-year-old Joshua Keogh. He’s a burglar and murderer who spouts poetry to a girl he’s attracted to. She is nice to him but doesn’t want a relationship with him.
Joshua was tutored in the art of residential burglary by his addicted father. He attempted to attend college but dropped out because he wasn’t interested. He is a loner and never feels comfortable in large groups, especially if strangers are present.
He has close friends but can turn on them viciously if he feels threatened. He can also be talked into dangerous things he knows he shouldn’t be involved in. Eventually that leads him to the inner circle of the local crime bosses. When the police take an interest in him, he reviews his list of friends and acquaintances to determine who might have been responsible for fingering him. The ending left me wanting to know more.
Joshua is intelligent and caring about his family, but I felt he exhibited traits of a sociopath and at times of a psychopath.
The editing, sentence structure and character development of Joshua are good.
Details are sparse but adequate to the story.
The plot is complex and delves into a flawed young man who has been taught to be a cold thief.
The writing style is wordy and overly sophisticated for the crowd of characters created. Frequent flashbacks of back story are inserted to explain why Joshua has developed the ways he has.
Some of the prose was too complicated and painted confused, erratic pictures instead of instilling clear images in my min. Examples:
, both their faces hanging loose over angry eyes.
The wind was whispering its secrets to the leaves, and they responded with hundreds of sighing green voices.
They were the kind of dark, unwavering eyes that held the bearer’s intelligence and wisdom somewhere in the iris.
This story was interesting in a perverse way as a character study of an intelligent man with deep emotional issues.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Spree, A Jon Steadman thriller
Author – Nelli Neeman
Genre – Thriller
Word Count 92,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 41 - 2020
Posted 8/14/2020
My Impressions: I place Spree between a thriller and a cozy thriller.
Main Characters:
Jon Steadman – College student with PTSD
Melanie Ridgefield – Jon’s girlfriend
Grannie Eunice – Jon’s grandmother.
Gabe Lewis – Jon’s best friend
Dr. Theresa Lavi – Jewish professor
SAC Doug Matthews - FBI
Jon Steadman and his pal Gabe Lewis survive a terrorist attack at a Boston college. His fiancé wasn’t as lucky and died in a massive, flaming blast. Fast forward several years to when Jon and Gabe decide to write a paper based on the earlier attack. They are aware of several similar attacks around the country and wonder if they are related
Their investigation takes them and Jon’s new girlfriend in search of information to tie the attacks together. The amateur sleuths procure two items of DNA evidence and take them to FBI agent Doug Matthews. Doug is not interested in the student’s wild theory about a possible conspiracy of terrorist randomly attacking colleges. With unbridled enthusiasm, they contact a geneticist professor to have extensive DNA testing done. The professor tells them of an expert in Israel who may be able to help them more than he can. But his findings are unexpected news and spurs them on.
Gabe flies to Israel and contacts Dr. Theresa Lavi.
As the investigation picks up steam, people are put in danger and others are attacked and murdered; people purported to be good guys turn out to be evil and others are too close to the students to be suspect.
The editing and sentence structure need the major input of a professional editor.
Character development is good for the main characters and adequate for the support characters.
Details are skimpy for most action scenes as if the author is not familiar with the mechanics.
Timely research is evident in the information of the several locations in the story.
The plot is fresh and interesting but misses at fulling the promises of the story telling.
The writing style is wordy but manages to pull the reader into the story.
The action scenes are poorly thought out and feel contrived.to reach an outcome without the needed choreography.
I enjoyed the story despite of its faults but struggled with giving it a four star rating.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Nelli Neeman
Genre – Thriller
Word Count 92,000
Rating 4 stars out of 5
No. 41 - 2020
Posted 8/14/2020
My Impressions: I place Spree between a thriller and a cozy thriller.
Main Characters:
Jon Steadman – College student with PTSD
Melanie Ridgefield – Jon’s girlfriend
Grannie Eunice – Jon’s grandmother.
Gabe Lewis – Jon’s best friend
Dr. Theresa Lavi – Jewish professor
SAC Doug Matthews - FBI
Jon Steadman and his pal Gabe Lewis survive a terrorist attack at a Boston college. His fiancé wasn’t as lucky and died in a massive, flaming blast. Fast forward several years to when Jon and Gabe decide to write a paper based on the earlier attack. They are aware of several similar attacks around the country and wonder if they are related
Their investigation takes them and Jon’s new girlfriend in search of information to tie the attacks together. The amateur sleuths procure two items of DNA evidence and take them to FBI agent Doug Matthews. Doug is not interested in the student’s wild theory about a possible conspiracy of terrorist randomly attacking colleges. With unbridled enthusiasm, they contact a geneticist professor to have extensive DNA testing done. The professor tells them of an expert in Israel who may be able to help them more than he can. But his findings are unexpected news and spurs them on.
Gabe flies to Israel and contacts Dr. Theresa Lavi.
As the investigation picks up steam, people are put in danger and others are attacked and murdered; people purported to be good guys turn out to be evil and others are too close to the students to be suspect.
The editing and sentence structure need the major input of a professional editor.
Character development is good for the main characters and adequate for the support characters.
Details are skimpy for most action scenes as if the author is not familiar with the mechanics.
Timely research is evident in the information of the several locations in the story.
The plot is fresh and interesting but misses at fulling the promises of the story telling.
The writing style is wordy but manages to pull the reader into the story.
The action scenes are poorly thought out and feel contrived.to reach an outcome without the needed choreography.
I enjoyed the story despite of its faults but struggled with giving it a four star rating.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Becoming the Wolf
Author – R.H. Neil
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
402 Amazon Pages
No. 29 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/7/2020
The story is set in St. Jude, Ohio, near Cincinnati.
Becoming the Wolf doesn’t list Science Fiction as one of its genres, but it plays a huge roll in the plot.
J. D. Ward is a farm boy who joined the military and then became a policeman. In a fight with two huge, tough assailants, he is severely injured and ends up in a secret government program where he become a present-day version of the bionic man.
J. D. s police partner is Tank, an older, experienced, large black officer. Together, they fight a hillbilly gang of vicious drug dealers from Kentucky.
J. D.s wife, Lucy plays a strong support role
The action is plentiful and the abuse J. D.s body absorbs via his encounters with the thugs is unbelievable. But it contributes to the tension and conflict throughout the story.
The emotional scenes between J. D. and several other characters are sure to pull you in and cause you to relate to the characters.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are top grade.
Research is evident in the usage of an abandoned section of underground subway tunnels actually abandoned in Cincinnati in the 1920s. Those and prohibition era smuggling tunnels provide a way for the White Wolf and the demented gang leader, Goliath Wholf to move about undetected under the city.
My main disappointment with the story is J.D.s obsessive introspection about the violent actions he inflicts on gang members trying to kill him. It went on far too long for my taste.
I can recommend the story for those who can endure the violence knowing the good guy will win and the diabolical low-lifes will be outwitted and out fought.
This is the first story in an ongoing series featuring the White Wolf.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – R.H. Neil
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
402 Amazon Pages
No. 29 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/7/2020
The story is set in St. Jude, Ohio, near Cincinnati.
Becoming the Wolf doesn’t list Science Fiction as one of its genres, but it plays a huge roll in the plot.
J. D. Ward is a farm boy who joined the military and then became a policeman. In a fight with two huge, tough assailants, he is severely injured and ends up in a secret government program where he become a present-day version of the bionic man.
J. D. s police partner is Tank, an older, experienced, large black officer. Together, they fight a hillbilly gang of vicious drug dealers from Kentucky.
J. D.s wife, Lucy plays a strong support role
The action is plentiful and the abuse J. D.s body absorbs via his encounters with the thugs is unbelievable. But it contributes to the tension and conflict throughout the story.
The emotional scenes between J. D. and several other characters are sure to pull you in and cause you to relate to the characters.
The editing, sentence structure and character development are top grade.
Research is evident in the usage of an abandoned section of underground subway tunnels actually abandoned in Cincinnati in the 1920s. Those and prohibition era smuggling tunnels provide a way for the White Wolf and the demented gang leader, Goliath Wholf to move about undetected under the city.
My main disappointment with the story is J.D.s obsessive introspection about the violent actions he inflicts on gang members trying to kill him. It went on far too long for my taste.
I can recommend the story for those who can endure the violence knowing the good guy will win and the diabolical low-lifes will be outwitted and out fought.
This is the first story in an ongoing series featuring the White Wolf.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Public Information
Author – Rolf Margenau
Genre – War, Coming of Age
407 Amazon Pages
No. 26 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/3/2020
The primary character in Public Information is Wylie Cypher.
There are many supporting characters who drift in and out of the story but have little lasting impact on his future. They are just friends and acquaintances of Wylie to carry the story. He is who and what the plot is about.
This is truly a coming of age story. When Wylie nearly flunks out of college, he and his father devise a plan for him to take time off from studies and earn money for future enrollment. His aim is to join the Army with the condition he will be sent to classes to learn the Russian language. They figure he will be sent to California or Europe and miss the ‘Police Action’ being conducted in Korea.
While in boot camp, Wylie discovers he has a rare talent for marksmanship with any of the weapon available to the Infantry. He is soon recognized as an expert marksman and sharpshooter. This is a cherished ability to the boot camp instructors and officers who want Wylie in the infantry ranks where his shooting proficiency can be put to good use. So Wylie eventually ends up on a troop ship headed for Korea.
Before he gets to his assigned infantry unit he is plucked from that assignment and sent to the 53rd Division Headquarters to be a reporter. There the story of Wylie’s coming of age really begins.
In his new role, Wylie has ample time to write to his girlfriend back home and confirm his undying love for her. There is no way for him to know how much his situation will change from week to week or how events will affect him and cause him to grow, develop, and mature.
The cast of characters he encounters in the Army are a bizarre bunch who fall into trouble as routinely as waking up. Anyone who has been in any branch of the military will relate to the characters and situations depicted in Public Information.
I enjoyed it and recommend Public Information.
The editing is very good but not perfect. Sentence structure is good. Character development is good for the important supporting characters.
The plot is fresh and extensive research is evident.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Rolf Margenau
Genre – War, Coming of Age
407 Amazon Pages
No. 26 - 2020
Rating 4 stars out of 5
Posted 8/3/2020
The primary character in Public Information is Wylie Cypher.
There are many supporting characters who drift in and out of the story but have little lasting impact on his future. They are just friends and acquaintances of Wylie to carry the story. He is who and what the plot is about.
This is truly a coming of age story. When Wylie nearly flunks out of college, he and his father devise a plan for him to take time off from studies and earn money for future enrollment. His aim is to join the Army with the condition he will be sent to classes to learn the Russian language. They figure he will be sent to California or Europe and miss the ‘Police Action’ being conducted in Korea.
While in boot camp, Wylie discovers he has a rare talent for marksmanship with any of the weapon available to the Infantry. He is soon recognized as an expert marksman and sharpshooter. This is a cherished ability to the boot camp instructors and officers who want Wylie in the infantry ranks where his shooting proficiency can be put to good use. So Wylie eventually ends up on a troop ship headed for Korea.
Before he gets to his assigned infantry unit he is plucked from that assignment and sent to the 53rd Division Headquarters to be a reporter. There the story of Wylie’s coming of age really begins.
In his new role, Wylie has ample time to write to his girlfriend back home and confirm his undying love for her. There is no way for him to know how much his situation will change from week to week or how events will affect him and cause him to grow, develop, and mature.
The cast of characters he encounters in the Army are a bizarre bunch who fall into trouble as routinely as waking up. Anyone who has been in any branch of the military will relate to the characters and situations depicted in Public Information.
I enjoyed it and recommend Public Information.
The editing is very good but not perfect. Sentence structure is good. Character development is good for the important supporting characters.
The plot is fresh and extensive research is evident.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Chaos
Author – D.J. Schuette
Genre – Thriller
Amazon Pages
No. 25 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 7/24/2020
Definition of Chaos: Complete disorder and confusion.
My impressions: cruel, sick, sadistic, extreme violence, brilliant, capable psychopath, evil incarnate.
Main Characters:
Nicholas Keegan – FBI, forensic criminologist
Aleksandr Zorin – serial killer, diabolical murderer.
Chaos takes place across the USA, but the main action narrows down to the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area.
A new computer program created by FBI agent Nicholas Keegan allows information about serious crimes to be cross referenced to detect those that are possibly attributable to a single serial killer. As the number of similar crimes starts to grow, Nicholas is repulsed by the intense pain inflicted by the psychopath killer they have uncovered.
But Nicholas has his own personal issues to deal with; his wife is expecting their first child and resents his job always taking priority. She craves more quality time with him while she fully supports his efforts to stop the diabolical killer. That alone has a major impact on the story’s conclusion.
Nicholas eventually meets Zorin and is intrigued to learn the antagonist knows so much about his personal life.
This is a difficult story to review without giving away the direction the plot takes to its terrific conclusion. I can only say it is one of the best stories I’ve read, if you can stomach the gory descriptions of the horrific crimes perpetrated on the killer’s victims. There are great investigative exchanges and deductions
The editing and sentence structure are excellent as is character development. There are multiple support characters who, of course, are not developed fully because they come and go as needed.
The writing style is powerful and full of conflict and the plot is a fresh look at the typical serial killer novel.
Thorough research is evident in the depth of details revealed in the sadistic murders.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it, but readers who object to detailed, horrific torture that is inflicted to cause slow, painful deaths should chose to pass on these vivid portrayals.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – D.J. Schuette
Genre – Thriller
Amazon Pages
No. 25 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 7/24/2020
Definition of Chaos: Complete disorder and confusion.
My impressions: cruel, sick, sadistic, extreme violence, brilliant, capable psychopath, evil incarnate.
Main Characters:
Nicholas Keegan – FBI, forensic criminologist
Aleksandr Zorin – serial killer, diabolical murderer.
Chaos takes place across the USA, but the main action narrows down to the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area.
A new computer program created by FBI agent Nicholas Keegan allows information about serious crimes to be cross referenced to detect those that are possibly attributable to a single serial killer. As the number of similar crimes starts to grow, Nicholas is repulsed by the intense pain inflicted by the psychopath killer they have uncovered.
But Nicholas has his own personal issues to deal with; his wife is expecting their first child and resents his job always taking priority. She craves more quality time with him while she fully supports his efforts to stop the diabolical killer. That alone has a major impact on the story’s conclusion.
Nicholas eventually meets Zorin and is intrigued to learn the antagonist knows so much about his personal life.
This is a difficult story to review without giving away the direction the plot takes to its terrific conclusion. I can only say it is one of the best stories I’ve read, if you can stomach the gory descriptions of the horrific crimes perpetrated on the killer’s victims. There are great investigative exchanges and deductions
The editing and sentence structure are excellent as is character development. There are multiple support characters who, of course, are not developed fully because they come and go as needed.
The writing style is powerful and full of conflict and the plot is a fresh look at the typical serial killer novel.
Thorough research is evident in the depth of details revealed in the sadistic murders.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and highly recommend it, but readers who object to detailed, horrific torture that is inflicted to cause slow, painful deaths should chose to pass on these vivid portrayals.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Title – Tony Tucci
Author – John Leonard
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
252 Amazon Pages
No. 28 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 7/17/2020
Tony Tucci – 60, small time hood until he saves the life of a rising Mafia boss.
Mario Conti – 78, Mafia Don who befriended Tony.
Maria Conti – 58, Mario’s wife.
Dante Conti – 36, Mario and Maria’s son, a real obnoxious bum.
Jake Crowley – 42, Special Agent, Homeland Security.
Tony Tucci is a close associate of mob boss Mario Conti, but he is not a made man in the Italian mob. Mario’s health is failing, and he depends on Tony for advice. Mario has taken control of his legitimate construction company away from Tony and put his hot headed, corrupt son Dante in charge. Dante is a throwback to the 1920s Mafiosos who blatantly broke the law, made many enemies, lived larger than life, and killed anyone in their way.
Years before, Tony was severely injured when he saved Mario from an ambush. He walks with a gimpy leg and has been relegated to the position of family driver.
Tony learns of a plot Dante is involved in to steal stinger missiles from an Army Armory and sell them through a middleman to the head of a Mexican drug cartel.
Suspicion causes Tony to get involved and almost costs him his life after the true buyers are identified.
The plot of Tony Tucci is compelling, and we learn Tony is respected by the people around him because he is honest and compassionate. He solves problems for people he barely knows with subtle pressure because it’s the right thing to do. He is not a violent man by nature.
The editing, sentence structure, and character development are good to very good.
Details and research are good
The plot is involved and covers a lot of ground.
The writing style is complex and intense.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – John Leonard
Genre – Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
252 Amazon Pages
No. 28 - 2020
Rating 5 stars out of 5
Posted 7/17/2020
Tony Tucci – 60, small time hood until he saves the life of a rising Mafia boss.
Mario Conti – 78, Mafia Don who befriended Tony.
Maria Conti – 58, Mario’s wife.
Dante Conti – 36, Mario and Maria’s son, a real obnoxious bum.
Jake Crowley – 42, Special Agent, Homeland Security.
Tony Tucci is a close associate of mob boss Mario Conti, but he is not a made man in the Italian mob. Mario’s health is failing, and he depends on Tony for advice. Mario has taken control of his legitimate construction company away from Tony and put his hot headed, corrupt son Dante in charge. Dante is a throwback to the 1920s Mafiosos who blatantly broke the law, made many enemies, lived larger than life, and killed anyone in their way.
Years before, Tony was severely injured when he saved Mario from an ambush. He walks with a gimpy leg and has been relegated to the position of family driver.
Tony learns of a plot Dante is involved in to steal stinger missiles from an Army Armory and sell them through a middleman to the head of a Mexican drug cartel.
Suspicion causes Tony to get involved and almost costs him his life after the true buyers are identified.
The plot of Tony Tucci is compelling, and we learn Tony is respected by the people around him because he is honest and compassionate. He solves problems for people he barely knows with subtle pressure because it’s the right thing to do. He is not a violent man by nature.
The editing, sentence structure, and character development are good to very good.
Details and research are good
The plot is involved and covers a lot of ground.
The writing style is complex and intense.
This review was provided in exchange for a free book.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
