Double Dose by F. Paul Wilson

As mentioned in my previous review of book one, I started listening to book two straight away. Book one had a lot of setup and character intros, a load of action, and smooth storytelling. In book two, everything is all set and ready. 

We learn a few things in this book, for example, Reese is a dick and easily swayed by the confidence of others. The Duad, Pard, can be attacked / hurt, and the visitors are not exactly aliens per se -- they are old gods. You know who I'm talking about. But there are aliens here and they have experienced the 'love' of the old gods. 

We are also introduced to two new characters. I liked the characters and their interactions with the story, but why were they here? They had no impact on the story (not that I could tell). 

The good overcoming evil is expected and well played out, Daley faced a lot of troubles emotionally leading up to the end, which toughened her up. 

Karma, from book one, is back. He thinks Daley is a goddess after what she had done to him. He finds the dagger he stabbed into her heart and thinks she left it for him. He changes his name to Jeffery and vows to change his life. Unfortunately, his previous life skills prevent that from happening, and he thinks it is the goddess guiding him. He visits his Aunt, Juana, Daley's friend. She tells him he is to protect the goddess no matter what. He doesn't understand, the goddess is all powerful, but he will do it. 

This book brings a very satisfying ending to the tale of Daley, and the Duad. The ending comes in hard and fast, with four different things happening at the same time. He could write more books involving these two characters and I'll read them. And review them. 

Double Threat (Duad book one) by F. Paul Wilson

Many moons ago when I was a publisher, I reprinted one of his short stories. It was weird and awesome. The anthology "Damned if You Don't" is well out of print now. So, I know his writing is awesome.

Well known for his Repairmen Jack books, he has published a lot of others in the SFH range.  

This book was advertised as a stand-alone book, but it isn't. I had both books anyway. I finished the first and went straight onto the second. 

The story is about a hustler, Daley, whose latest money maker backfires on her and she decides it is time to cash out. Chased into the desert by a disgruntled customer, Daley hides in a cave. Something falls on her head and she passes out, only to wake up with something on her head. 

At the same time, a secret group worships The Visitors and waits for their return. They run their clan, life, and stocks from translated details in the scrolls. The group becomes very large, very rich, and very secluded. Today, they have been warned about the Duad, an evil entity that can destroy The Visitors. 

The Duad blends with Daley. 

The son of the clan leader falls in love with Daley. 

Daily falls for him, as well. 

Once it is confirmed that Daley is in league with the Duad, plans are put in place for her assassination. Nothing can stop The Visitors return in 10 days' time. 

This is a brilliant story. Wilson does his normal excellent job and gives us characters with vast backgrounds and goals. The story of Daley and the Duad is paced well and we are introduced to the Duad in a natural setting. Her meeting with Juana after the cave experience sets Juana up as a person who knows more than she is telling. 

The story is riveting. You won't regret reading this. Remember though, it is a two-book story. Don't blame the author for this lie, advertisers are there to make money. A lot of people like a book series. But many don't want to be left hanging. So, it was advertised as stand-alone. Get both books, call in sick to work, and devour this excellent book and then move on to book two. 

I blew through this novel in a week and instantly opened the second. 

The Mother by T. M. Logan

Mr. Logan's seventh thriller is a doozy - even I was surprised by the ending (the reveal). Well done. Not only that, but the characters and overall storyline are brilliant.

The story is about Heather, a mother who spent nine years in prison (half her sentence) for the murder of her husband. She claims she didn't do it. And once outside on parole, she decides to try and solve the mystery herself.

During her hunt, she is helped along by Judy, an ex-con who shares a room with her. A reporter lost everything because he believed in her and thought there was much more to the story and that she had been framed.  Her sister-in-law also joins her team to hunt for answers. 

The thing I like most about this book are the small things that seem inconsequential but are actually important to highlight points in the story. The wine glass knocked over in the bedroom, the dog not barking, and the gate to the stars unlocked and open. Tiny things that don't mean much, on their own, but add to the overall tale.

I've read everything Mr. Logan has written, and this is by far the best. As a writer, I'd love to see his outline.

Lies -- terrible (this was his break-out novel. Number one everywhere. I didn't like Lee Childs's break-out book either. I liked every book after that).

29 Seconds -- Excellent 

The Holiday -- terrible. Couldn't finish it.    

The Catch -- great      

Trust Me -- great

The Curfew ---Brilliant.

Now, I can add The Mother to my audio bookshelf.

Ryu Murakami - Audition

I've been a fan of Ryu Murakami since 2003 when I read the translated version of the award-winning novel, In The Miso Soup. I stumbled across the thin and translated version in a public library. Many in Japan have a very small English book section. I ran it through the self-checkout machine and off to work I went. 

Little did I know about the fun that was to happen. There is very little 'filler' in this 192-page book, tho I do think some scenes were too long. This is a story about a widower with a 15-year-old son. His wife died seven years ago and his son thinks it is time for him to get back on the horse again. He thinks so as well. But he doesn't know how to meet anyone these days, he has been out of the game for a long while. He confides in his friend who is a filmmaker and they decide to hold auditions for a fake movie in the hope one of the girls is of interest to Aoyama. And one is. Her name is AsamiYamasaki, a 24-year-old whose introduction letter was deep and seemed beyond her age. He is instantly smitten. 

Most of this novel is a slow-burn romance. However, throughout the novel, we get to see tiny tidbits of the person that Asami is really. The scene in the restaurant is exceptionally great. 

One thing I did not like was the dog abuse. But it is also a cultural difference that has changed over the past ten years. Thankfully. The book was written in 1997 in serialized form in a newspaper. Until a few years ago pets were not considered family (not everyone of course but by law) members and most dogs live outside and don't go for walks. Many are not trained and are used mostly as a thief determent. Not your best friend ever. Thankfully things have changed and the SPCA in Japan is strong and has some power. 

This comment distracted us away from the book. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and just realized there is a cult favorite movie based on this book. I have heard it is different from the book as the movie version is better than the book. It happens. 

           

 

Extinct: Extracted, Book 3 by R. R. Haywood

What a fitting end to the trilogy. It follows the same formula that all of these books have followed—it's a fast-paced, action-filled book with plenty of drama and suspense. This one won't disappoint if you've already read the first two. 

Having read the first two books, the character development was already in place for the third book. So, having new characters added or previous characters expanded on was awesome. 

I never do spoiler reviews. 

Time travel can be a little weird and tricky to write and keep everything in the right place and in the right order (I have experienced this with my own time travel book, Scorched Earth), so I applaud Mr. Haywood on keeping things in line and his nifty trick of memories. 

This book, like all RR Haywood's books, is hard and fast. Filled with action, comedy, and a touch of romance.  

 

Executed (Extracted Trilogy book 2) by R. R. Haywood

If you haven't read the first book in this series, don't read this one. You will not understand what is going on. The characters in this book are well-developed (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta come across as real, the same as the heroes from the previous book.) except Mother--her reactions to the shit going down (in the first half) were unbelievable especially considering her position. 

This book acts like most middle books, it's a massive lead-up and setup for the final book. The sex scenes were dull and possibly page filler, one was a great lead-up to Delta being extracted.

Mr. Haywood's humor is spot on. 

In this book, the plot is simple, save Roland's son, who is the inventor of The Blue (the time travel device). They succeed but the British special forces managed to get their hands on a blueprint for the time machine and build their own. The US needs the UK to get its hands on the machine itself and as it is a danger they show they are willing to drop nuclear weapons on the UK. Then a host of other countries all point nuclear weapons are each other.  

The second part of the mission (plot) is to stop the world ending in 2111.  

The group's new leader, introduced at the end of book 1, devises a plan to save the world. 

I enjoyed the Rocky training montage. That was fun. The running, shooting, weapons, and holographic simulations were great. 

I enjoyed this book so much, I went straight into book three.

I'll Catch You by Jesse Kellerman

I have never read a Jesse Kellerman book before. I picked up this book in a secondhand bookstore. I read the rear cover (see below) how could I, a simple human, resist such a premise? I couldn't, so I purchased the book thinking I might have found another author to follow. 

The book starts off very dull but sets up the back story well. The short chapters keep you turning the pages wondering what's coming. It takes quite a while to start. It's a good idea and the twist about his best friend is good. The ending was as expected and drawn out. 

Although interesting, as a thriller it wasn't very good. And I liked the blurbs at the front of the book for the fake author, especially one from Lee Child. Brilliant. 

This book is about a failed writer, Pfefferkon, whose best friend, Bill, 'made it' in the publishing field, and married the woman Pfefferkon loved. They haven't spoken or been friends for a long time. Bill has gone missing and is considered dead. His wife has made funeral arrangements. She offers him a place to stay and they shag. In Bill's writing room, he finds the last novel Bill completed. 

Everything that happens to Pfefferkon seems to have been planned by others. 

This book has everything for an excellent thriller. But it fails. It's long-winded, drawn-out, and dull. The all-important fight scenes are cut out. Usually, a chapter ends, and then you turn the page 'cause that is a tense moment and ... nothing. It's all over with a throw-away comment, "That was brutal."