Serpentine by Peter Parkin & Alison Darby

Serpentine by Peter Parkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who would think a story about a roller coaster could be so involved in government conspiracy. This is a fantastic thriller that starts with a thrilling ride on a roller coaster doomed to failure and the tragic death of passengers. The ride's designer Nathan Morrell is certain his creation was not at fault and is determined to find out why he and his company is being made into scapegoats. It is always a certainty that when the NSA is involved things will get nasty and the authors make good capital on this producing a riveting ride, almost as thrilling as being on the Black Mamba ride itself. The whole package is made even better by the easy to read style that flows smoothly and keeps you entertained throughout.

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Triggerfish by Dietrich Kalteis

Triggerfish: A Crime Novel by Dietrich Kalteis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Triggerfish is a boat owned by an ex cop Rene Beckman, renting it out for fishing days is how he is spending his retirement, however on one trip with a girlfriend he stubbles upon a drug gang smuggling high value narcotics. This of course means they are immediate targets because of what they have seen. The story is a good one however I personally found some of the writing difficult to read as the author used a lot of descriptive narrative that was not essential to the plot - "Shoes scraped on the pavement, a handwritten sign by Market Seafood said they had wild sockeye, just in" That aside it has plenty of action and thrills and entertains throughout. The author needs to concentrate on entertaining without the flowery text which for me would make this a much better book.

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Casimir Bridge by Darren Bayer

Casimir Bridge by Darren Beyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SciFi and politics, what could be better? If you add in the realism of NASA backed information it is much better. Darren Bayer has taken around five years to produce this first instalment but for me the wait was worth it. He has combined his extensive knowledge of space related things to a very good storyline to produce an entertaining and exciting novel. Mandi is a journalist who uncovers some evidence of a dark plot to take over the interests of one of the world largest corporations AIC and their revolutionary technology. This technology has allowed interstellar travel and the discovery of new worlds including Eridani where AIC are now head-quartered. The book gathers pace all the time and has very exciting final chapters but most of all it is a very believable view of the future

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The Boys of the Dixie Pig by Stacy Childs

The Boys of the Dixie Pig by Stacy Childs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Just another day in the life of a gun runner, well not quite. This is a very good action thriller involving drugs, gambling, fraud, murder, friendship as well as gun running, so plenty of scope. Mack Barton has a reunion with his old school pals whilst trying to escape the clutches of a gang boss who wants Mack's gambling debt repaid. Mack is brought up to date with what his friends have done in their lives, in particular Ace Strain who has developed a new type of cryogenic process. Is it only just cryogenics? This is the question that author uses to develop the book into a fantastic story, which is very exciting and entertaining. The writing is easy to read with no unnecessary padding only a lot of action is crammed in.

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The Passenger by Lisa Lutz

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Identity theft is all very relevant today with the Internet and electronic surveillance and Tanya Dubois is about to find out how difficult it is to do. Her husband dies falling down stairs but rather than stick around and just explain what happens she goes on the run, but why. The book was okay but it struggled to keep my interest about half way through, as there did not seem to be any new development that gave any clues to her reason to run. The main events throughout the book is her change of identity. Some of her background is delivered by the reading of backdated emails which I personally disliked, preferring discovery through events on her journey. Although having problems with retaining interest, the writing style is easy to read and does not indulge in flowery time wasters. This was not so much a thriller but more of a hard luck story and therefore the title is very apt as the Tanya does little to change her own luck and just goes with the flow.

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The Last Girl by Joe Hart

The Last Girl by Joe Hart
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not exactly, Zoey is not the last girl but could be. Very slow off the mark, not happening for the first part of the book except describing the daily routine that is Zoey's life. It is only when she begins to question things does it start to come alive. The world is sent into disarray by a mystery virus/bacteria that affects women's ability to produce female babies. Zoey is a "guest" of a government establishment trying to find a solution to this problem and slowly she wonders if she is being mislead about the world outside. The author had a good storyline and failed to get it started quickly enough otherwise I would have rated it higher than three stars. Just be patient it does get going.

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Rough Justice by Brad Smith

Rough Justice by Brad Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All of those who watch daily news will be familiar the Jimmy Saville scandal where a celebrity uses his position to get away multiple sexual crimes. This book mirrors this but based in small town America. The Mayor is tried for four rapes and gets off however he did not reckon for the resolve of Kate one of his victims. This is a very serious subject and highlights how easy it is for people in trusted positions to ignore the law for their own devices believing they are untouchable. Woven into the story is the rehabilitation of Kate's father Carl who has been just released from jail and starts work with his ex-wife's sister. This is a great story with very real issues explored.

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