Book Review: Pendergast: The Beginning" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 

It only took six months for the life of Special Agent Dwight Chambers to crumble around him. First, he lost his partner, and then, tragically, his wife. Returning to work at the New Orleans Field Office, Chambers is dismayed to find himself saddled with mentoring a brand new FBI agent—a certain A. X. L. Pendergast. As Chambers tries to pull himself together, his enigmatic and exasperating junior partner pulls an outrageous stunt that gets both of them suspended.

Pendergast welcomes the banishment, because it gives him the opportunity to investigate a peculiar murder in Mississippi that has captured his fancy. Chambers grudgingly goes along. What starts off as a whimsical quest swiftly turns into a terrifying pursuit, as Chambers and Pendergast uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile.
 
Thanks in large part to Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins. - from Netgalley.com  

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Where to start with this one? Having read all prior 22 books in this series (in order) to finally get to read a prequel on our Special Agent was a true treat. Though in other books, there were bits and pieces of Pendergast's past, mostly scattered bits amongst the books, but this jumps right into what appears to be his first FBI assignment (and case).

To go back - what, twenty to thirty years - to a much younger, and supposedly inexperienced rookie agent of the FBI took some skill from the authors. I see Pendergast being a bit more "uppity" and not as well-adjusted and rounded, to dealing with people that just are not as intelligent as he is. And it was a whole book of it! Every page turn I wanted to see more of his past - the secret military-type organization that brought Proctor and himself together. Here this ties in how Proctor ends up working with/for Pendergast. But there is so much more I want to find out about this exceptional, unique character.

Kudos to Preston and Child on completing yet another great work that I very much enjoyed reading.

Book Review: "The Hard Line" by Mark Greaney

 

Family means different things to different people, but in the Gray Man’s world, family is defined by blood—the blood you share with some and the blood you shed with others.

Court Gentry’s current family operates out of an office park in Norfolk, Virginia. The Ghost Town is an off-the-books direct action team run by Matt Hanley, former CIA Deputy Director. They take on the jobs the Agency needs handled “discretely,” and those jobs are rolling in.

Somewhere at the top of the US Intelligence apparatus, security experts and intelligence operations worldwide are threatened. 

It starts with a blown safe house in Tunis. Then Court himself barely escapes from an ambush in the jungles of Nicaragua. Now key members of the U.S. counterintelligence community are being assassinated in their own neighborhoods. With the feds compromised, it’s up to Court and his team to stop the hit squads. 

But eliminating professional kill teams may be the least of the Gray Man’s worries when he finds himself targeted by the legendary assassin codenamed Whetstone—a man driven out of retirement by a very personal quest to rain down hellfire on Court and everyone he’s ever loved, starting with the father he hasn’t seen in twenty years. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is book number 15 in 'The Gray Man' series by this author. Again, Greaney has surprised me with a story line that he has been able to further on a great character. After the last book, where Court rescued his love, he is now pulled back into Ghost Town with Hanley, his old Sierra Six leader, and some other office operatives. This time there is a threat to US agents/teams around the world as somehow information of their whereabouts are being released and they are being murdered. As Court and his team investigate outside of any US agency protocol to find the leak, they discover more intrigue. 

This has got to be the least action-oriented novel in this series, and concentrates more on intelligence info, deductive reasoning, and how the other World Powers work against each other. I found myself drawn more into the story as the alleged fictional happenings just sound believable in today's current times of crisis. At times it felt like the smokescreens were more than three deep, as they work to unravel the plot.

Kudos to Greaney! Another great read, and I am so hoping for at least a few more stories of Court and his retinue, even if we step out of the government-type intrigue and maybe just something like protecting their lives (and lives of the children). I'm throwing out 4.5 stars, though most sites only let me go to whole numbers.

Book Review: "Nexus (Witchy Women)" by N. G. Avant

 

Four women. Four strangers. One prophecy that will change history forever.

Drawn to Salem by an ancient pull, four women arrive with no idea that fate has been waiting for them. Each carries a fragment of a forgotten bloodline, but it isn’t until they meet on their shared birthday that the truth is together, they are the key to rewriting history itself.

By the next blue moon, they must decide whether to embrace the power calling them or risk leaving the world shackled by the past.

Nexus is just the beginning and will be used as my Lead Magnet. It's a novella prequel that introduces the prophecy and the women bound to it. Four elemental novellettes will follow, each released slowly in the lead-up to the first full-length Witchy Women novel coming out on the blue moon in May 2026. Think of this as the doorway into a much bigger world! - from BookSirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I giving an unbiased review.

There have not been many times I have come across an author that puts out an 'origination' story prequel novella/novel before there are at least a couple books into the series. I am guessing at the request of the readers, to know how the characters came to be/meet/have powers, but it is what it is.

That being said, I am leery of reading this upcoming series. The premise of the storyline drew me in, and this being a prequel origination, I thought it might actually make me want to get the next book. Not so in this case. 

It is a novella. I know it is going to be short, and depending on how the author feels, there may be too much room to write (without getting into their main storyline) or too little to include all they want to, so they have to "trim" corners. That is sort of how I felt about this one. Things started off well, explaining how these four women all happened to be in the same city at the same time. Then things went kaput for me.

The writing style seemed rushed in trying to get as much main details into this story, and the conversations felt like they were written in a hurry. How the characters all conveniently find out about this ancestral heritage/connection and the whole idea of being to have/use magic as just accepted way too easily. By the end of the book, they all have powers, they realize they are related in some shape or form, and again, conveniently, their powers tend to match their lifestyle/employment. Well, that one makes sense.

Overall, I felt the idea was wonderful, and I am still a bit curious about how they will be using their powers, against whom/what. It might be enough for me to check out the first book when it is released. Otherwise, I felt the writing was too quickly undertaken, with no depth to characters, background information, and the 'hidden' purpose behind why now of all times they have come together. I think young adults would enjoy this better than I will, as it seems to be written more to that genre.

Book Review: "Sweet Fall" by Q. K. Petty

 

Every storm leaves scars. Some never heal.

The House of David has fallen—fractured, betrayed, and cast into the shadows of a world teetering on the brink of ruin. But amid the wreckage, Tennin Aiden Yeager stands with the last of his allies, determined to stop Seditio from finishing what they started.

As a new threat emerges in the form of Mary Denau, a chaos-seeker with a dark obsession, old enemies and unlikely allies collide in a final confrontation that will decide the fate of both the living and the damned. And when a mysterious child with blood tied to the relics enters the fray, every choice becomes a gamble between redemption and destruction. - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is the fourth and final book in the "A Series of Four Seasons" series, and it wraps quite nicely. The final battle we have been awaiting between the House of David, and the Seditio does finally occur, and the result was one would expect - the supposed 'good guys' win. But the House is destroyed, where they had based, etc. all just gone. They end up creating a medical/research type center that is world renowned.

Again, this book did the character view split each chapter - which I dislike. Fortunately, I was able to read this book right after the previous one, so didn't have to re-think any of what was going on. I liked the ending, turning a more militaristic group into a research/medical one, that helps everyone around the world. The utopian ending, right? Still, it was a sluggish read, and I did find myself at a couple points skipping ahead a few pages to try to get something interesting to read.

Book Review: "Dark Summer" by Q.K. Petty

 

Betrayal burns hotter than any summer sun.

The Chattanooga Incident has left the House of David in shambles. Chaos ripples across the city, and the terrorist faction Seditio is seizing its moment to strike.

Haunted by loss and personal betrayal, Judge Eden Dowler is fighting to hold the House together even as trust fractures from within. When an old ally resurfaces with answers—and secrets—Eden faces an impossible truth: the traitor he’s hunting may be closer than he ever imagined.

With the lines between justice and vengeance blurring, Eden forges fragile alliances to dismantle Seditio before they unleash catastrophe. But every step deeper into the shadows exposes new lies, and loyalty becomes a deadly gamble. - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is the third book in the "A Series of Four Seasons" series, and though it had been awhile since I had read the previous books, I found some of my reading tastes may have changed. First, I have never been a fan of the switching character viewpoints on each chapter, and this book did more than two characters. I understand the fact that it helped explained what was going on in the background from other points, but would get somewhat confusing to me at times. War is coming to a head with the House of David and Seditio, and The House is losing. But you smell victory coming - just by the way tings sort of happen. We lose dome higher-ups in the House, and Seditio loses a lot of peons.

Overall the story line is interesting: a protective group keeping certain special items with "magical" powers from being in the public world. Though at times, it seems a bit much. Of course the 'evil' group that wants the power for themselves under the guise of freeing the power to the world of people and their corrupted governments. Sigh. The book started dragging a bit for me, and I worried about the fourth and final one.

Book Review: "Robert B. Parker's Showdown" By Mike Lupica

 

Spenser may have uncovered an explosive secret that threatens the career of a controversial figure, in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker’s beloved series.

Vic Hale isn’t anyone’s idea of a father figure. He is one of the biggest – and loudest -- podcasters in the nation and got there by spewing overheated rhetoric that’s reviled by some but loved by even more. His particular brand of “entertainment” is so successful, he’s about to sign the biggest contract in the history of online broadcasting. Vic’s riding high...until he gets a visit from Spenser, who specializes in bringing guys like Hale back down to Earth.

Spenser is there on behalf of Daniel Lopez, a young man who believes Hale may be his father. It’s a potentially explosive revelation for a man in the podcaster’s position and it might even be enough to blow up his massive new deal.  That could explain the bodies that start popping up – bodies connected in one way or another with the mystery surrounding Daniel’s birth. There are a lot of questions remaining, and Spenser’s going to have to find the answers before someone shuts Hale or Daniel up for good. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

'Spenser' was a great television show back in the day, and I have really enjoyed the whole book series. Lupica has done a great job of 'channeling Robert B. Parker's writing style and story-telling skill as he revisits the world of Spenser.

Not sure how much longer we can keep Spenser going along. Story-wise, he isn't getting much younger. There have been a couple spin-offs (Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall), but when it comes down to Spenser, it will be a hard loss when the series does end.

Book Review: "Bloodlust Shadows" by Luanne Bennett

 I’m Charley Underwood—welcome to the Stag. Keep your fangs to yourself and don’t forget to tip your bartender.

In Crimson, vampires, wolves, and humans live side by side. And I try to keep them from tearing each other apart.

After taking down a bloodsucking mobster and a rogue witch, I thought I’d catch a break. Maybe even a few days to fix up my bar and spend some quality time with Samuel, my vampire boyfriend.

But I should have known better—after all, this is Crimson.

An old enemy is out for blood, stalking us and leaving terrifying warnings. And this vampire likes to play with his victims, always staying one step ahead. Soon the whole town is caught in his games.

Customers start showing up beaten and bruised, unable to explain what happened. There are rumors of addictions and poisoned blood…

When Samuel disappears, it’s clear this opponent is smarter and more twisted than any I’ve faced before.

And he won’t stop until he’s taken everything from me. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is the fourth book in the Charley Underwood series, and takes place right after the third book. Since Samuel killed his Maker, a 'sibling' has shown up in Crimson to exact revenge, and he plans on hurting others to get it done.

It was nice getting some history on Samuel, as it does some flashbacks to his past, and dealing with Shane, the 'sibling'. We also get some small back history on Dog, and some connections with the Pack and the Northern Pack. Charley and Samuel still seem to never get time alone, and just smolders the romance part of the story. Looking for a few more books in this story line from Bennett.

Book Review: "Silver and Lead" by Seanan McGuire

 Seanan McGuire’s New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated October Daye series continues as Toby Daye is thrust once again into danger... and this time she has more than ever to protect.

Something is rotten in Faerie. In the aftermath of Titania's reality-warping enchantment, things are returning to what passes for normal in the Kingdom in the Mists—until it's discovered that the royal vaults have been looted, and several powerful magical artifacts are missing. None are things that can be safely left unsecured, and some have the potential to do almost as much damage as Titania did, and having them in the wrong hands could prove just as disastrous.

At least the theft means that Sir October "Toby" Daye, Knight errant and Hero of the Realm, finally has an excuse to get out of the house. Sure, she's eight and a half months pregnant, but that doesn't mean she can’t take care of herself. But with the sea witch offering to stand godmother to Toby's child, maybe there are greater dangers ahead for Toby and her family than it appears....

Old enemies will resurface, new enemies will disguise themselves as friends, and Queen Windermere must try to keep her Hero on the case without getting herself gutted by the increasingly irritated local King of Cats. Sometimes, what's been lost can be the most dangerous threat of all. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is the 19th book in the October Daye series, and again, it does not disappoint.

This takes place very shortly after the end of the last book. Toby is now about 8 months pregnant, and is feeling disgruntled from being cooped up by the over-protective husband, and the "kids" living in her house. She is called forth to bear witness against the Previous Queen, and at the same time, is requested to return to her job as Hero. The royal vaults have been ransacked, and there are several items that would be deadly in the hands of the wrong people, or Fae.

Again, this was a wonderful tale. There are many things I want to say about the details, but will refrain so I not spoil it too much. I look forward to there being more books in this series, and hopefully that will be true.

Book Review" Badlands" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 

The #1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child return with a thrilling tale in which archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, while investigating bizarre deaths in the desert, awaken an ancient evil more terrifying than anything they’ve faced before.

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found—and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. The victim walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands—lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods. 

Is it suicide or… sacrifice? 

Agent Swanson brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate. When a second body is found—exactly like the other—the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves confronting a dark power that, disturbed from its long slumber, threatens to exact an unspeakable price. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

We return again to the world of Nora Kelly and SA Corrie Swanson, as they "partner up" again to solve a crime. This time it is in the badlands of New Mexico. Obviously it involves ancient Indian rites/customs, but for the non-informed you do learn a little bit about ancient Indian cultures, and even a bit about the Navajos. 

This is the fifth book in the Nora Kelly series, and I am not sure how much further the authors will go with it. I'm guessing it may increase since the Pendergast series seems to be faltering. Overall it was still a good read.

Book Review: "Nemesis" by Patricia Wolf

 

A DANGEROUS CHASE. A SADISTIC KILLER.

DS Lucas Walker is on assignment for the AFP, and it couldn't be more personal. This is his last chance to take down Stefan Markovich - the Vandals leader who tried to have him killed after Walker uncovered his drug operation, and has evaded justice for years.

Having tracked Markovich to Berlin, Walker heads to Germany to lure his nemesis out of hiding and into custody. And there is another draw for Walker in Berlin: he finally gets to see Barbara again.

Still dealing with the trauma of her sister's ordeal in outback Australia, Barbara is working her own case - a suspicious death that casts a dark shadow over a peaceful lake colony. Everything about the horrific scene tells Barbara it's murder, and when a second body emerges she realises she is hunting a killer who is watching their victims die in agony.

As Walker and Barbara grapple with their cases, they must also face their feelings for each other - amid the constant threats of the world they inhabit - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was received from Netgalley.com, and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the fourth book in the DS Walker series, and there is a bit of a twist. Walker is working on doing a transfer within the force, but before he can work it all out, he receives information on the Vandals leader he has been searching for. Turns out he is in Germany, and whilst working out a deal between his current boss, and the new one, Walker manages to get a trip to Germany to assist with the capture of the Vandals leader. This brings in to play the lady Barbara, whom he had happened to help locate her sister in a previous book.

Though the romance seems to go no where throughout the story, it moves along. The German police don't seem to want to assist, Barbara (also an officer) is working her own murder case, and somehow it gets to where they are sharing the details with each other as if with only Walker's help could she solve it.

Truthfully, I enjoyed there being another DS Walker book, but this one seemed pretty boring. I felt it just stagnated and the ending was not as impressive as it may have been. Still would like to see if this series could go farther, now that Walker has transferred depts.

Book Review: "Death At A Highland Wedding" by Kelley Armstrong

 

After slipping 150 years into the past, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson has embraced her new life in Victorian Scotland as housemaid Catriona Mitchel. Although it isn’t what she expected, she's developed real, meaningful relationships with the people around her and has come to love her role as assistant to undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie.

Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie are on their way to the Scottish Highlands for McCreadie's younger sister's wedding. The McCreadies and the groom’s family, the Cranstons, have a complicated history which has made the weekend quite uncomfortable. But the Cranston estate is beautiful so Gray and Mallory decide to escape the stifling company and set off to explore the castle and surrounding wilderness. They discover that the groom, Archie Cranston, a slightly pompous and prickly man, has set up deadly traps in the woods for the endangered Scottish wildcats, and they soon come across a cat who's been caught and severely injured. Oddly, Mallory notices the cat's injuries don't match up with the intricacies of the trap. These strange irregularities, combined with the secretive and erratic behavior of the groom, put Mallory and Duncan on edge. And then when one of the guests is murdered, they must work fast to uncover the murderer before another life is lost. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is the fourth installment in the Rip in Time series by Armstrong. We are back to modern day detective Mallory, who has slipped through time to a Victorian Era Scotland, and into the body of a housemaid. The original book was interesting to read, though I am not one for historical fiction as much as urban fantasy. Over the course of the MC's story through the books, it seems there will be no need of her returning to her future time line, as she ahs started a relationship, and seems to enjoy detective-type work in this earlier time period. Though restricted by conventions of social placement of women, she is still able to teach more current detective skills to some.

Though the series has been somewhat enjoyable due to the author's writing style, the storyline just is slowly losing my attention. As I stated, I am not into historical fiction, and I feel that these books are somewhat repetitive with the basic story idea: dead body, investigate, lovey lovey, society treatment of women, solve murder, catch bad guy. I do want to point out that this author does do other novels of fiction that I do find more enjoyable.

Book Review: :Bloodlust Curse" by Luanne Bennett

 

I’m Charley Underwood. I run the best bar in Crimson, Georgia… when I’m not kicking demons and vampire thugs out of town.

A local witch has been murdered. Even worse, it looks like the killer stole her magic, draining it away in a bloody ritual.

Who would play with the darkest kind of magic like this? And what are they planning to do with the power they took?

When the killer targets my mentor Candy, and the dangerous trove of enchanted objects in her shop, it’s time to gather Crimson’s witches and prepare for war.

But as we plan our response, I can’t shake the feeling that the others are hiding something from me. Could these attacks be connected to my mother’s magic? And her mysterious death two years ago?

Nothing will stop me from digging up the truth. Because this isn’t just personal. It’s family. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is the third book in the Charley Underwood series by Bennett, and it still has not lost any of it's charm. Once again Charley is in the mix to stop magic users with bad intent, from doing damage to her town and friends. This time though, it seems there may be more linked to her past and the secrets of her mother that she doesn't know about - and no one seems to want to share.

Like the first two novels, this one was pretty quick read. The story flows wells enough, though our MC Charley just seems to be angry all the time, and really angry when she finds out her friends know more information than they share about the past, mainly in regards to her mother and her death. I've been enjoying the series, and would hazard a guess that there could be a few more books into this series before it get stedious.

Book Review: "South of Nowhere" by Jeffrey Deaver

 

The New York Times bestselling master of suspense returns to his beloved series, adapted for TV (CBS's Tracker, starring Justin Hartley) as reward seeker Colter Shaw races against the clock to save a flooding town from a full-fledged disaster, where the culprit lurks in the plain sight.

When a levee collapses in Hinowah, a small town in Northern California, Colter Shaw is brought on by his sister, Dorion, a disaster response specialist, to help locate a family swept away by the raging water, with mere hours to survive. 

But after a surprise attack along the river obstructs Colter's urgent search, the siblings are forced to consider a new reality: Is the levee at risk of failing from natural causes, or is someone sabotaging it? Colter and Dorion must race against a ticking clock to uncover the truth and save the citizens before the village washes out completely, destroying everything and everyone in its path. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC came from Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is basically the fifth book in the Colter Shaw series, that was adapted to television as "Tracker". Our MC Colter Shaw is back, and in this part of the tale, he is called in to working with his sister at the site of a levee failure, to help locate a family that was washed off the levee. As time runs out on being able to save this family, things start happening to make the Shaws question a possible evil intent - that the levee was sabotaged and someone wants to destroy the town and surrounding areas.

In the previous books, and yes, even the television show, I have come to like Colter Shaw, as I have Lincoln Rhyme, from other novels by Deaver. There is usually a very realistic spin on events that are occurring in his stories, and is generally quite a nice read. However, I felt a bit lost with this one. The storyline stayed consistent, and realistic, but it just felt too ... fake, I guess, to me. The level of political power, etc, that Shaw over-stepped in solving the issues was just a bit too much for my belief.