The Spy's Demise by Jim Wygant

Article first published as Book Review: The Spy's Demise by Jim Wygant on Blogcritics.

Throughout the “80’s” during the cold war, both Super Powers had agents, as well as counter agents, feeding information both real and fabricated. Valery Sevastoposky came to Washington D. C. to work in the Soviet Embassy as a case officer. His job was to hang around hoping to encounter someone with value as an asset to the KGB. It became a game getting bits and pieces of information, sometimes through greed, other times given due to a certain ideology. Most of what was learned had little of significant value in comparison to the amount of time entailed in the retrieval. There was one exception to this, a mole in the CIA known only as Badger. Valery was his handler though his years in Washington, but when he was sent back to Russia that duty fell on others of the KGB.

In the “90’s” everything in the Soviet Union began to fall apart. Beginning with Gorbachev, and moving on to Yeltsin, things began changing quickly. For months Valery could see that things were not going well for the KGB, and he prepared himself. Making his escape just before the coup of both the military and the KGB, setting up a broken trail so as not to be followed, he made his way back to the Washington D.C. area to start a new life. His journey leads him to Little Odessa, and he begins working with the Russian Mafia. It is here that he meets the man known only as Fungo on the streets, who becomes his best friend and confident. Beginning his new life calls for a new name, and he has prepared himself well, he is now known as George Seevast.

Little Odessa has quite a reputation and during his tenure working in the area, George has been approached first by a police officer, looking to get information on Little Odessa gang network, fighting amongst themselves leaves some heinous crimes on both sides and the police are anxious to solve the murders. He is also approached by the FBI who has tagged him as a former Soviet spy which he denies, leaving him in the sights of both organizations.

Living under the radar he has had no concerns with the previous entity known as the Badger, but now that he has had contact with two different agencies it creates concerns for George. The Badger is high up in government; George knew that rather then risk exposure, Badger would kill him. It all comes down to a phone call, one directly to him from Badger. Has George escaped his country only to be hunted down and terminated here on American soil? Will he be able to use his new contacts to help him dig up Badgers identity before it is too late?

Jim Wygant takes us back to a time when worry and fear were the daily meal of the day. The two largest superpowers fought for supremacy trying at all costs to outdo the other. He has introduced a plot, one that could have very well played out in this time in history. Valery, now known as George, has worked and believed in the KGB his entire career. In The Spy’s Demise, you follow the trail of an Ex-KGB spy and learn about him, not as a product of the Soviet Union but as a man. He is initially almost invisible, not much of a personality, but as the story unfolds his personality changes and grows stronger. As he begins to use his background to unlock the secrets of the Badger, he again takes on the role of a spy. His entire goal now is to flush out this mole to save his own life, and to close a channel that is long past due. He uses his new resources in the FBI and the Police more as a sounding board, having difficulty getting anyone to believe him.

The plots and plans he puts together are cagey and imaginative, but he is in a new country on his own, going up against a top government official. His life is in danger at every turn. You have to admire his tenacity, and hope that he makes it though.

I enjoyed the book, though it started out slow for me. The beginning was filled with a great deal of detail, but as soon as George left Russia, I began to get interested in what he was doing and where he was going. As he grew and gained more character the book just took off, keeping the pace tight and fast.

This would be a great book for a Book club riddled with information about a time in history that most Americans are very familiar with.

Rating 4/5
The Spy's Demise

This book was received as a free copy from the Author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Spiral X by J.J. Westendarp

Article first published as Book Review: Sprial X by J.J. Westendarp on Blogcritics.

Contest, for a free e-copy of this book. Please leave a comment below. I will draw 5 lucky winners on December 15th for a free download of this book from the Author, available from Smashwords. The down load is available until December 31st but can be extended if necessary. Good luck. Please also leave email addy so you can be notified.
:)

Cheryl Erickson is a Hunter. In the shadowy underworld of Dallas, Texas, a world unbeknown to most humans Cheryl hunts and dispatches both Demons and Vampires. She has gained a reputation and has many friends in the business, and her territorial clear rate is one of the highest. Unlike many of the Hunters she does not have a day job, having inherited a very lucrative business when her Father died. It is run by others and leaves her the time necessary for her task. She shares her home with Virgil her best friend, an amazing geek with technical savvy that helps her to stay out of harms way.

While she deals strictly with Demons and Vampires she has found that there is a new drug, Plast that is making its way on the scene. This is something she would normally leave for the DEA, but it has fallen into her territory and seems to be handled and distributed by Vampires or their feeders.

As she sleeps off her recent nights work, she receives a call from her mentor known only as Cho, one of the best trainers in the business. He needs to speak to her and is on his way over. As she answers the door the lifeless husk of Cho, is thrown aside and a Demon attacks her, nearly getting the job done.

As Cheryl tries to find the clues to the death of Cho, and the reason for the attack, she finds that a contract has been put on her head. She is directed to find the one man that can help her known only as the Reverend, as she continues to race against time in a deadly game of cat and mouse. She finds that she has help in places that she could not imagine, and at the same time she is being betrayed by a friend. Will she find the Reverend and the answers before it is too late? There is a new and dangerous kind of vampire in her territory, will she be able to find them and stop the distribution of Plast before the Hunters lose their edge?

Buffy, Vampire Slayer move over, there is a new girl in town.

J.J. Westendarp is a new author to keep an eye on. In Spiral X, he has put together a great story filled with an exciting cast of characters. While stories of Vampire Hunters are the norm of the day, Westendarp has taken the theme and twisted it to a whole different level. The twists and turns throughout the entire book keep you reading and engrossed, trying to second guess the story. Cheryl, the heroine of the story is a personable and charismatic person, believing in good, and yet having to step out of her bounds to find answers. She is alternately horrified and then angered the by death of her mentor, the one man who has made her the Hunter that she has become. That anger is what drives her, because with the death of an old family friend, she begins to lose hope, wondering if this is the right thing, second guessing her entire life.

When she meets the Reverend, her whole world takes on another twist, one that you just do not see coming. There is such simplicity to the story and yet, the interactions of all the characters create a complexity that keeps you reading long past lights out. I would also like to say that I believe that we could all do with a friend like Virgil, her best friend since Kindergarten. They have each others backs at all times, and their friendship creates an extra depth in the story, already rich with both suspense and surprises.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope that J.J Westendarp has plans to make it a series. I would like to see more of these characters, they are genuine and exciting. I started this book and could not put it down, the plot was great with twists and turns that kept you turning the pages. This is a great book for those that are interested in this particular genre but it is written in such a fashion that any one that just likes a good story would enjoy it. The author makes you believe in a world, deep in Vampire lore and those that hunt them.

This would be an interesting book for a book club, I would think the twists in the story would give everyone something to discuss, and the perspective of the writer is just a bit more unique, something that is always welcome.

Rating 5/5
Spiral X

This book was received as a free e-book from the Author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Tender Touch by Tanya Stowe

Posted first on The Romance Reviews

Tanya Stowe has written a wonderful historical fiction which ties in with both the gold rush days as well as the war on slavery. She has taken a time that touched the lives of so many, and made a story to touch the hearts as well. It takes a powerful writer to find something so beautiful in some of the harshest years in history. Once I started it, the story just jumped out at you and it was difficult to put down. Ms Stowe is a master storyteller.

Lacy Butler and her sister Mattie have been traveling with their gambling father since their mother died. When he happened to win a cabin in Harperville in a card game, he immediately moved his daughters in and then disappeared. Mattie had moved into town for a job and to help feed the minors while Lacy was just fine up on the mountain by herself. She is a natural healer and when she had not been able to heal her own mother, she withdrew from both God and man. She is stubborn and contrary, and has gained a reputation for being quite ornery. She wears men's clothes and had learned to take care of herself.

When she tries to sabotage the new water flume for the mine, she runs into more then she bargained for.

Royce Darnell is in charge and he is determined to not let the damage of their food stuffs scare them off from the job they are doing. As he begins to track the guilty party, he heads into the night determined to make them pay. He does not anticipate the weather and finds himself deep in trouble. He lost his way and frost bite begun to set in. He prays that he will be safe. As he loses control and slides down a slippery slope, he temporarily loses consciousness. Upon awakening, he finds himself being dragged to safety by a small man, muffled against the weather. Making it to the cabin in the woods and settled into the warmth of a bed, Royce only vaguely remembers his night. A tingling warmth, a flash of light and then a deep and resting slumber.

Awakening in the morning, he finds that not only is his rescuer a woman, but the very woman who sabotaged the camp. Before he can delve any further, a rescue team shows up, and he assures Lacy that he will not turn her in; she had after all saved his life. There is something about Lacy that intrigues him, and he knows that something happened during his night in her care. He has healed too rapidly and the frost bite should have left some ravages, but there is nothing. He is determined to find her secret and get to know her better. She is not what she seems and with all her bravado on the outside, there is more to her that she keeps hidden away.

As the war on slavery breaks out in the East, the factions for both sides are settled here in this small mining town. Anger, fueled by fear and alcohol, pit townsman against miner, and it will take Lacy and Royce working together to soothe the savage feelings and save their home. It will take all that Royce can do to get Lacy to let God take some of her burden and offer her the strength to heal those most in need. Will they be able to save this small mining town, or will the war on the East coast cause a rift that will tear the town apart?

Tanya Stowe had created a small historical town in the midst of the gold rush in California. She has peopled it with characters and personalities familiar to that time and place in history. The personalities of her cast of characters are alternately charming or just plain mean. Lacy and her sister have been adopted by a few of the elderly ladies of the town and have been well cared for. Lacy is a stubborn young woman and wants no part of what she considers her curse.

When she meets Royce and is forced to save him during a blizzard, sparks begin to fly between them. They are both stubborn, but deeply caring people. While they fight the attraction between them, it is a bright and glowing thing. Lacy had given up on God, and has found that people do not understand her healing power. In the past, some of those close to her turned away, considering her a freak. She is afraid, because if Royce ever sees this part of her, she knows that he too will look at her differently.

As they are thrown together more frequently, Royce realizes that this is the woman for him. As he begins to court her in earnest, he soon finds that she has a secret. Will he learn what that secret is, and will he be able to still see her as she really is. Will this be the deep and abiding love that they both dream of? As danger strikes and Lacy's very life is at stake, will love find its way, and will their faith see them through?

The love is a strong and steady heat, flaring up throughout their courtship; Lacy has finally realized what she may have been missing all these years as she hid herself away in the mountains. Royce is learning that appearances can be deceiving, and has learned he needs to look beneath the surface to find the heart and depth of love.

This is a marvelous and heartwarming story set in a time and place in history, with just enough background to make it fun. The beginning of war on slavery while being fought in the East has a long and dangerous effect on each and everyone set in this sleepy little town in California.

Rating 4/5

This book was recieved as a free e-book through the Romance Reviews. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the the material.

Pandora's Succession by Russell Brooks

Article first published as Book Review:Pandora's Succession by Russell Brooks on Blogcritics.

After the death of his fiancé, CIA operative, Ridley Fox makes a decision to hunt the killers. Blaming his own ineptness, knowing he should have understood that danger, he goes in deep to uncover their plot and gather his revenge at the same time. The Arms of Ares which he knows as a terrorist group as well as the murderer of his fiancé has set in motion a plot to gain control of the world. He has received information that they have come into possession of a biological weapon called Pandora. In receiving the intelligence necessary to track down one of the labs he is not only compromised but also captured by the killers. Rescued by the wife of one of the biologists involved in the experimentation and later killed, he finds that Ares has infiltrated many of the top organizations of the world, including British and Russian intelligence. Fox tries to secure more information and learn if there are more labs or facilities working on the project but she is killed before he gets the information.

As he communicates within his organization he is also introduced to a Dr. Marx, one of several other Biologists in the CDC with knowledge of the Pandora organism. What he learns causes him and his superiors alarm; this weapon can destroy the world as they know it. In the hands of the Arms of Ares, the entire world is in danger. Following the leads and tracking the sources Ridley Fox, known as a renegade in his organization, finds himself in a position to view the result of this weapon first hand when one of his only friends is killed in action, during a raid on one of the facilities. The organism feeds on DNA and so far they have not found a way to stop the process. They must find a way of destroying Pandora before it can be used to create worldwide devastation.

As Fox is drawn deeper into the dregs of the terrorist organization dealing with and experimenting with Pandora he discovers that there are other groups also after the same organism, each with their own agenda and plans which in either case are not acceptable. He also finds that different factions of the government also have operatives in place working behind the scenes to help bring the danger of Pandora to a close. As he races against time to find the answers, more and more people are being killed. There is more at stake then anyone imagines, and the Arms of Ares as well a group of cultists, lead by the man known to Fox only as the October man, will do whatever it takes to be the one to control Pandora.

What Fox finds is that as each plan is breeched and every action compromised, there is a mole in his own organization as well as those in both the British and Russian intelligence. As bodies continue to drop he finds himself on his own, having to depend on a woman from his past who has no reason to help him. Through an unintentional missed meeting she was almost killed and blamed her current situation on him. But she too understands the importance of stopping Pandora before it can be used. Will they be able to find a way to protect the world from Pandora? Can they do what no one else can?

In Pandora’s Succession, Russell Brooks brought to life the very real worry of biological warfare and the possibility of what that would look like in our world. He has developed a group of terrorists, with no care of the human side of their business, but just who or what will bring the highest paycheck. He has then thrown in a group of zealots, a cult, interested in cleansing the world and setting themselves up as the new world order. He has taken different parts of our current history and used that madness to build a more cataclysmic horror, a picture that even the evil of those original perpetrators may not have dreamed of.

The story is fast paced and the characters very real and solid, capable of hurts and emotions, and as human as they could be. While Fox appears to get out of many situations that would seem to be impossible for a normal man, given the circumstances of each and with the thought behind each escape, Russell Brooks makes it seem both likely and possible for this to happen. There is a great deal of technical and biological information throughout the book guiding you though, giving you a great understanding of the science behind the story.

I really enjoyed this book, it was innovative and yet a bit reminiscent of the current events of the world now and in the past. It gives us both insight and motivation into how differences come into play within the different countries of the world. I found it both interesting and exciting, with just enough human emotion to keep it real.

Rating 4/5
Pandora's Succession

This book was received as a free e-book from the author. All opinions are my own based off my own reading and understanding of the information.

"Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"


Answer: I am most thankful for my family, I have the most wonderful children, and grandchildren, a husband that can't be beat and my extended family while not as close as I would like, we all love each other. I am also thank full to have gained a whold bunch of new friends through blogging, there is a reason for everthing.
 


 




Now for the Follow Fun!

The Unwanted by Daniel L. Carter

Article first published as Book Review: The Unwanted by Daniel L. Carter on Blogcritics.

The Unwanted begins with a series of bombings, which include children in the death toll; the FBI is investigating them. At each scene, it is the deaths of the five children, always five, which weighs heavily on Nick Catlin’s conscious. He is the lead agent on the case and is disturbed to find children involved in any way. Why always five and why include children at all? Nick intends to find the underlying cause of these bombings, and even as he is talking to his partner, they have to respond to another scene. This is an extremely new bombing, and something has happened, while almost everything is the same as in the other scenes, there are two woman from the group that have disappeared, as well as the children, all five of them. As they arrive at the new scene, the site is not as organized; the job appears to be hurried and seems to lack the finesse of the other bombings. One of the bodies recovered is that of a police officer, bringing even more problems into play. How far does the information leak go, will they be able to control the information in order to catch a killer?

Nick and his team race against time hunting a cruel and sadistic killer, murdering both witnesses and children to hide his motives. Nick is in deep, it is imperative to find the answers to these killings and to stop the murder of the children. Their suspect is a geneticist, full of anger towards the U.S. He blames them for the death of his family, and while he remains hidden, his henchmen are out creating havoc and destruction. What is it about the children, that put them at risk and at odds with this killer?

The FBI are operating against a cold and calculating mind, with knowledge of their every move, able to cut them off at every opportunity. Nick finds himself drawn into the madness, struggling with his own demons, and as he begins to see improbable things, he worries that his very investigation is at risk. Is what he has seen an experiment or has Tibon Agha, their suspect, engineered a mutant army?

As he tracks down the missing children, he finds more then he has bargained for. The children have far exceeded the size and abilities of other children their age and there is something both unnerving and yet special about all of them. Each has developed different characteristics and abilities. They have been raised with God and have a heavy belief in prayer, and when they are finally found by Tibon and his crew, they must come together and rely on each other and their belief in God, to not just save themselves and their adopted families but the country itself. In addition, as Nick fights for his own life, he too must rely on the help of these children, for it will take skills and abilities, far above what he and his team are capable of to stop Tibon and his mutations.

In The Unwanted, Daniel L Carter has developed the very world of today, yet covered it with a sheen of other worldliness, seeming to set up a futuristic place rife with possibilities and powers. The characters are well developed each with characteristics that are unique and all with an old-fashioned sense of love and caring. Their mutations put them at risk and yet they have survived far longer then predicted. It is the current consensus that they have only lived to their current age due to their closeness and belief in both God and prayer. Religion is a part of this story, and woven throughout the entire frame of the story structure; the work would not survive without it. It is not pushy or an effort to foist religion, it is just an intricate part of the story giving it a unique edge. The children are charismatic and extremely different in their personalities, and each has a strength that makes them unique. The nurse Janet Renard, one of the two that escaped with them becomes their pseudo mother, with her family their extended family. This is a well-written story, staying true enough to science that it is somewhat plausible. Daniel's writing brings to mind the Maximum Ride series, by James Patterson. The characters come off the page and are just young enough to be lovable. They have problems and phobias as well as anger and other personality traits that make them much like you and me.

Daniel has created a wonderful story full of surprises and human emotions. The book is fast paced and interesting, often leaving you tense and uncertain, but always rooting for the children, hoping they can overcome the hardships they endure as their bodies begin to change. He takes a page out of science to create a fiction that one day may actually be one of our headlines, and while you feel uncomfortable at how the children came to be what they are, they did not choose to be this way, and you are with them, feeling their dreams and really liking their character and personalities. This story is unique and the characters solid making a strong foundation for a faith based science fiction. This is a truly remarkable story.

Rating 5/5
The Unwanted

This  was received as a free e-book from the Author. All opinions are my own based off my independent reading and understanding of the material.

Zan Gah and The Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

Article first published as Book Review:Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman on Blogcritics.

After rescuing his brother Dael, from the fierce Noi tribe that had captured and tortured him for two years, Zan Gah feels like he may finally be at peace with his life. He falls in love with the beautiful Lissa Na, a young Noi woman who helped in the rescue. But Dael is not the young carefree boy from their youth. He had changed, the torture had made him into a different man then he had been. There was anger and distrust, which haunted his very soul. Lissa Na continued to love him and was the only one that could soothe his soul. They married and when she died during childbirth, it brought out another side of Dael that was vindictive and spiteful. He hurt people and he hated his twin brother Zan Gah with a vengeance. He developed a group of followers who found his intensity and propensity interesting and exciting. He no long wanted to be a twin, so he shaved his head and tattooed his face to make himself different. His followers were right behind him, finding everything his did fascinating. This is a story of a damaged young man, his life and times, as well as his interactions with those who loved him.

In Zan Gah,and the beautiful country, Allan Richard Shickman has brought you a story of change and upheaval. What happens when an entire culture moves their clan and families? How do the changes manifest in the people of the time. For some the change is not so hard but for many the differences are brutal. He also takes you further into the lives of Zan Gah as well as his twin brother Dael.

Zan Gah had grown during his search for his brother. He was thrilled to have him back in his life, but it did not take him long to realize that Dael was not the brother he remembered. Zan Gah, is a cautious but enlightened man, he marries a young woman that many in his tribe would not consider. She is a hunter which is not acceptable in his clan and yet he admires her for her prowess. He continues to love his brother and try to help him to overcome his anger and rages, even though at times Dael is quite cruel. Zan never gives up on him, always remembering his brother when they were young; Dael was the funny one, the dreamer. He was well loved by all. Zan could not and would not give up on his ideal of who his brother was. When they find during a scouting, that the dreaded wasp hunters are gone, they group together to move their clan to the beautiful country. This is one of the few times that they will ever agree on anything.

Dael is a young man, embittered by the time and treatment that he received by the Noi tribe. They were cruel, subjecting him to all forms of punishment and torture, feeding him food not fit for animals. That he actually lived through this time for two years is a testament to his strength. His only relief during this time was when the young Lissa Na would stop by and speak with him. She found him fascinating, and grew to love him during this time. He relied on her soothing voice and her caring ways to help him make it though the worst of his torture. They were married once he was rescued and it appears that although he would occasionally have a flair up, life was good. When she died unexpectedly during child birth Dael became unhinged. He was everything and more of the very devil that the Noi had thought him when he was their slave.

This is a story of pain as well as hope. Understanding how Dael has come to be who he is does not make it any more palatable. He is an unpleasant young man and very easy to dislike. And yet there must be more to who he is as he has his own group of followers, willing to lay down their lives for him. He had a beautiful woman who loved him and left her own family for him. The story is intriguing but brutal. As it continues to develop you can only wonder and worry as war arises with the Noi. How will they cope and will things ever be as they were?
This is the second book in this series written with an eye to change. It must have been a brutal time and place and Allan Richard Shickman has spared no feeling with his descriptions of both the beauties and the atrocities. This book of the series is far more brutal and descriptive of the tribes and their clan wars. It brings to life the haunted realities of what captivity can create. I would recommend this book as it brings to a close ,the story of Zan Gah and his tribe. It is a wonderful thought provoking read and would make a good discussion for a reading group or book club.

Rating 4/5
Zan-Gah: And the Beautiful country

This book was received as a free copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Related articles

• Book Review: Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman (blogcritics.org)