The Teller by Jonathan Stone

The Teller by Jonathan Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a little nervous when I selected this book, as a teller in a bank is hardly the most popular subject for a crime thriller, but looking for something different I struck oil. Elaine Kelly does not have much luck, a dead end job, no boyfriend and a sick mother to look after. How could it get any worse? Well it does when a regular depositor who always uses Elaine is run down by a truck and killed outside in front of the bank. In that moment Elaine makes the decision that would change her life forever. I don't want to spoil but suffice it to say she will experience a full life in a very short space of time. Jonathan Stone has written an excellent crime thriller with an unusual and interesting starting point and even more unusual ending.

View all my reviews

Evil Games by Angela Marsons

Evil Games by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Solving crime often involves understanding a deranged or damaged mind. Here the DI has to live with her own damaged mind as well as solve crime. Kim Stone had a very destructive childhood, and the author uses this fact to build a very interesting character, who has a mutually respectful relationship with her sidekick Bryant. The tension is immediate with a child abuse case to investigate, but this builds even further with the suspicion of Doctor Thorne a psychiatrist resident at a local care home. Unfortunately the suspicion is only Kim's and she has to dig deeper if she is to get any real evidence, exposing her own fragile state to the doctor. Angela Marsons has written a gripping thriller with a frighteningly real to life storyline. She weaves the investigation details with Kim Stone's own story very skilfully to ensure you are always anticipating the next page.

View all my reviews

Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens

Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Working as a tour guide in the Montana wilderness Jeremiah Tate, known as Hawk, Is abruptly dragged back to his past as a DEA agent. Hired to track down a missing brother hiking the wilderness, the client attacks the brother. Narrowly escaping with his life Hawk starts to work with his old colleagues to find the killers and uncovers information on the death of his family. Dustin Stevens does little to disguise what happens next, and is fairly predictable detracting from the enjoyment of what is a fairly good book. I personally struggled to complete this read as it did not capture my attention fully early on. It would have been much better if I had read it on holiday with less distractions.

View all my reviews

Trident Code by Thomas Waite

Trident Code by Thomas Waite
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What is the worst thing that can happen? Ask Lana Elkins it all happens to her, first time out the U.S. Held to ransom by disrupting the national power grid, this time it is even worse. Cyber hackers penetrate a U.S. nuclear submarine intending to melt the ice caps, for who and for what. The author, Thomas Waite has the knack of describing catastrophe that to you and I is unimaginable, it is as good as going to the movies to see a disaster film. We follow Lana as she works with a mysterious hacker to try and stop the madmen destroying the world by flooding it. If this is not enough her daughter is again, unwittingly drawn into danger putting even more pressure on Lana to get a quick result. This is another great book from Thomas Waite entertaining and thrilling from start to finish.

View all my reviews

Mariner's Ark by Peter Tonkin

Mariner's Ark: A Richard Mariner Nautical Adventure by Peter Tonkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is a long series of Richard Mariner books however this is my first and was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was. After a slow start which included unnecessary meal descriptions and other fillers, and the author started on the main subject of the storyline, things got measurably better. As an adventure story excluding the start it is full of exciting action and written in a way that makes it easy to visualise the experience. Mariner is in Long Beach with his wife when warnings are issued for an Arkstorm that would be bigger and more destructive than all the recent storms and tsunami. As he heads into the storm with emergency supplies aboard his container ship he is unsure of his wife's location or condition. Will she be safe in the luxury yacht Maxima as they go south following a high tech competition yacht?

View all my reviews

Wrongful Death by LJ Sellers

Wrongful Death by L.J. Sellers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This my second LJ Sellers book and got a little less than I expected on the excitement side, however as a regular cop murder mystery it was fairly good. Detective Wade Jackson is given the task of solving the murder of a cop, who in his spare time worked to help the homeless. During the first cold night in Eugene, Officer Dan Thomson is murdered immediately after handing out blankets he had collected to the residents of a homeless camp. The investigation is difficult enough due lack of witnesses, but with the complication of his partner being related to the victim nothing is easy. He is given a sex attack case to keep him out of the way to keep emotions in check. The investigation follows the normal steps you would imagine, obvious clues are red herrings and the press are involved. It takes a while but don't give up the story does take some unexpected turns and livens up towards the end of the investigation and identification of the murderer. A good story but my preference is the Agent Dallas series.

View all my reviews

Relentless Savage by Dave Edlund

Relentless Savage by Dave Edlund
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The synopsis says fast paced, action driven adventure and that's exactly what you get. Peter Savage's son volunteering in Sudan, is kidnapped with his friends by the Janjaweed for no apparent reason. As the story progresses we find what the real horrors are surrounding the kidnappings and other local dissapearances. The Chinese have set up a lab to conduct experiments on the locals, but what and why? Peter with his friends and assistance from a special forces team attempt a rescue unaware of the real purpose of the lab. This is a really exciting book, with great action and a fantastic story line.

View all my reviews