Death by Blue Water by Kait Carson

Death by Blue Water. A Hayden Kent Mystery by Kait Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Florida Keys, white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water, sounds like paradise, ideal for scuba diving, but is it? Hayden Kent a paralegal is diving when she swims into a dead body at her favourite dive. Okay all she has to do is report it and the police will take it from there. No, nothing is that simple, she is implicated and it becomes even more difficult when she cannot remember what she was doing when the victim was killed. Yes murder, greed, and corruption can happen in paradise. How can Hayden get herself out of this? The author Kait Carson builds a very good plot giving only small clues as to the final outcome, leaving plenty of room for you to develop your own ideas. This is not the most riveting read, but it is easy reading and good entertainment.

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Intrusion by Reece Hirsch

Intrusion by Reece Hirsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We all Google something everyday and hear or read about the size and power of Google, now you can read a thriller based on theft from a fictional Google caller Zapper. Chris Bruen a security and privacy lawyer at a law firm, is called in to investigate a hack into Zapper. Being a very hands on investigator Chris and his colleague Zoey have narrowed down the culprits and he decides to make a visit. Be warned this is not just a cybercrime investigation, Reece Hirsch has given us the whole shooting match - killings, greed, power, deadly pursuits and story twists all go to making an excellent thriller. The author has drawn on his professional background in writing this book and it shows, it is well written and gives you the impression that it is not all fiction and could be very real. This is one of my favourites of the year so far and could feature in my top 5 selection.

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Scorpion by Andrew Kaplan

Scorpion by Andrew Kaplan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Scorpion is a typical eighties based espionage thriller with the main character an independent spy / mercenary named after the stinging desert insect. He is given a mission from the CIA to rescue a kidnapped daughter of a U.S. Senator. The novel follows the Scorpion on his travels to the Middle East to try and discover where Kelly has been sold into slavery. It is clear from the beginning the Kremlin is involved in this abduction but to what end?. Andrew Caplan has written a very good Cold War style thriller but is also relevant for today's world with the middle Easter location. I enjoyed the book however it would have been better had the author not dwelled so much on painting the Scorpion's background and childhood. This information could have been delivered in a more discrete and minimal way to avoid the appearance of padding and distracting from the story.

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The Night Hunter by Caro Ramsay

The Night Hunter: An Anderson & Costello Police Procedural Set in Scotland by Caro Ramsay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Missing girl story set in the picturesque hills above Loch Lomond and that's about as nice as it gets. Elvira McCulloch has taken a year out of her medical degree due to her sister Sophie having gone missing. Determined to find her, she teams up with a scruffy retired detective Billy Hopkirk. What a team they make, Billy the scruffy slob and Elvira the proverbial minger. It all kicks off when "Elvie" heads off up to the hills to her job as a nanny for a local wealthy business man and a naked body appears from nowhere. The author builds the tension throughout but minimises the clues you need to unravel the mystery. As it the tension reaches the point where you need to know or you will stop reading, it goes up a few gears and an ultra exciting ending is revealed. One of the best stories this year and would have got 5 stars had the author not used the first person style. For Anderson and Costello fans they are hardly in the book to merit a mention.

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Massacre Pond by Paul Doiron

Massacre Pond by Paul Doiron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This my first read in this series with Maine warden Mike Bowditch. The wardens appear to be a strange mix of wildlife warden and country policeman that don't have an equivalent in the UK making it difficult to relate to. I found it pleasantly refreshing for the hero / central character to be the lowest rank warden and not the sheriff or lieutenant. The storyline is is triggered by a wildlife massacre however this leads to other crimes to be investigated. Dealing with his own personal issues Bowditch has also to contend with being sidelined on the investigation of the crime he discovered. Not a bad book however not a riveting read either.

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Until the Debt is Paid by Alexander Hartung

Until the Debt is Paid by Alexander Hartung
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jan Tommen, a Berlin homicide detective in love with Betty his new girlfriend, wakes up with not only a hangover but a big gap in his memory. Returning to work he is assigned a new case, where he quickly becomes the prime suspect. Not trusting his colleague to clear him, he goes on the run enlisting help of friends to help with the investigation to clear his name. You might think this is bad enough but it gets worse with more dead bodies. Alexander Hartung has written an outstanding murder mystery, keeping you guessing who is guilty all the way through. The graphic description of the crimes sets an unreal atmosphere and elevates the story to a new level of urgency to solve the murders. The translator Steve Anderson should also take credit creating an exciting easy to read thriller.

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Hell's Fortress by Michael Wallace

Hell's Fortress by Michael Wallace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Post apocalypse thriller, but not your normal one, this is by the grace of God. In a world ripped apart by a mega volcanic eruption a religious cult in southern Utah, USA tries to defend their town and survive. You would expect a religious group would be welcoming and helpful, not this one. The story quickly splits in two with Eliza and companions seeking to rescue her fiancée Steve in LA, with her father Jacob Blister Creek's leader organising the defence. The author clearly illustrates how far people will go to survive regardless of religion or creed. It is an entertaining read however a little irratating with continual referencing to their religious beliefs and lifestyle which I find totally alien.

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