Month: February 2016

Waterkill by Mark Donovan

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
Waterkill (Dave Henson Series) by [Donovan, Mark]

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Date of publication: October 3rd, 2015

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Technothriller

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

Goodreads synopsis:

“Waterkill” Weaves Nanoscience and Cult Religious Terrorism into a Major Threat to Western Civilization

With the mysterious outbreak of a deadly disease in a Yemeni village, followed by an increase in terrorist chatter after the crash of a small airplane in eastern Alaska, CEO Dr. Dave Henson and colleague Ron Blackwell of NSurv Inc. are tapped by the Department of Homeland Security to locate the aircraft wreckage and its suspected deadly contents.

While Henson and Blackwell are in the eastern mountains of Alaska helping the U.S. Border Patrol locate the missing aircraft and its contents, Dave’s wife, internationally-known journalist Dana Cogswell, goes missing while covering another sudden and suspicious epidemic in a small town in Germany.

Dave races from Alaska to Germany to rescue Dana and ends up on a quest to the Middle East to find her. Along the way, he learns of a shocking betrayal of friendship and that the path to Dana ultimately leads to the terrorist leader behind the deadly outbreaks.

Waterkill was a fantastic book to read. It draws you in from the first chapter and keeps you turning those pages to discover what will happen. I read this book in 2 nights, going to bed early one night to read it.

I liked that there was a ton of action. The author was straightforward about who the terrorists and the good guys were. I also liked the science angle of it too. Nanoscience fascinates me too.

This book scared me on so many levels too. Because it makes you think and wonder, “Are the terrorists doing this same thing?” and “If so, will our country be able to stop it like in the book.”

I did like the unexpected curve that the author threw into the mix. Again, it made me think, “What if.“

If you enjoyed reading Waterkill, you will enjoy reading these books:

Deadbeat by Michael K. Murphy

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Date of publication: January 17th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Jake Brogan, retired Army Special Forces, is hell bent on finding the murderer of his daughter, Chrissy, when he encounters a young woman in strikingly similar circumstances to those of his precious daughter. The young woman’s vicious drug dealing ex-husband is determined to kill her and her daughter. Does Jake continue to pursue his daughter’s killer, or stay and help the defenseless mother and child?

My review:

All I have to say is, “Wow.” This book was fantastic. It grabs you right from the beginning and doesn’t let go of you until the end. I couldn’t put the book down. It took me two nights of reading to finish it!!

Jake Brogan’s character was well-written and very developed. He comes across as a very damaged person. The book explains why he is like that. And his best friend, Randy; everyone needs a Randy. I also think everyone needs a Jake in their life.

The only issues I ever had with the book were some spelling/grammar issues. Also, the author switched from character to character in the same chapter; there was no notice. I advise putting up stars (like these:*****) between the different POVs. For example, we went from Jake’s to Buddy’s POV in one chapter. It took me rereading the chapter to realize that.

Catalyst by Amanda Uechi Ronan

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment
Book Cover

Publisher:

Date of publication: January 6, 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase Links: Amazon | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Loyalty and Friendship define Hannah Anders, an uncommon young woman fighting for freedom and family. A skilled warrior trained by the Comanche, Hannah’s journey begins in October 1835, when the stirrings of revolution are first heard in the Mexican territory called Texas. She follows her mentor, James Bowie, into battle with hopes of finding her first love, Morgan. Surprises wait around every corner though, for it is Will Redding, a young volunteer from New York, who just may lay claim to her heart first. Catalyst, the first book in the Hannah Anders trilogy, shows the beginning of the Texas revolution up to the siege of San Antonio de Bexar in December 1835. These events eventually lead to one of the greatest American legends and tragedies: the fall of the Alamo. From the perspectives of Hannah, Will, and Morgan, readers will meet historical heroes such as James Bowie, David Crockett, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin all while witnessing the birth of Texas.

So along with my fantasy/sci-fi obsession, I also love historical fiction. For some reason, reading a historical fiction book gives me a case of the warm fuzzies. And this book is no exception. It has a little romance, a lot of action, and a ton of the legendary James Bowie, which I found fascinating.

I loved the fact that the author made Hannah an oddball. I mean, a Comanche-trained female warrior? I also liked that the author made Hannah relatable too. Abusive childhood with an awful dad still around, check. Torn between two loves, check. Self harms whenever she kills someone, check. Pushes everyone away, check.

While I liked Will’s character, I wish he acted more like a man. I loved that he kept getting friend-zoned by Hannah until the middle of the book. For some reason, it kept giving me giggles. I also liked his Uncle. You need to read the book to understand why I loved him!!!

Morgan, I couldn’t stand. He rubbed me the wrong way. I was not going to give away anything, but if my SO left me after something significant happened, I would be fighting mad. I wanted to smack Hannah upside her head and say, “Girlfriend, he’s no good. Move on!!

If you enjoyed reading Catalyst, you will enjoy reading these books: