Book reviews of mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels with a smattering of non-fiction books.
Monday, April 15, 2024
Four Steps Missed
Friday, April 5, 2024
Three Weeks in Washington
The publisher's summary:
Encountering a Shooter . . .
CIA intelligence operative, Titus Ray, arrives in Washington, D.C. on the day a terrorist enters the Washington Navy Yard and murders five people. Convinced the incident is connected to a Hezbollah plot to use chemical weapons on an American city, Titus jeopardizes his own career to interrogate the killer and learn the truth.
Exposing a General . . .After the shooter reveals the identity of an Iranian deep-cover operative living in Washington, D.C., Titus embarks on an intelligence operation spanning two continents and exposing an Iranian general obsessed with destroying America.
Engaging an Enemy . . .As time runs out, Titus engages the enemy in a treacherous game of cat and mouse to save the lives of thousands and defeat the terrorists. Can his faith sustain him as he faces his greatest challenge yet? Is he willing to lose Nikki to save his country?
What People Are Saying About Titus Ray Thrillers:“The characters are very well-developed and believable. I enjoyed the way the author described Titus Ray's internal struggles and character flaws creating a very authentic main character. The story was action-packed and one is left wondering how the author could be so knowledgeable of the CIA and the work of their covert operatives.”
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Two Days in Caracas
Titus faces a threat he never imagined.Can he capture Ahmed Al-Amin before it's too late?Confronting a new operative . . .When veteran CIA operative Titus Ray arrives in San José, Costa Rica, and meets fresh-faced Ben Mitchell, a hot-tempered new operative with barely any experience in the field, he has a choice to make--ignore him or take him under his wing.Facing an old demon . . .In the middle of an active, ongoing operation, Titus is suddenly called back to the States where he must deal with the failures from his past and make decisions about his future with Detective Nikki Saxon.Opposing a present danger . . .In an effort to stop Hezbollah assassin, Ahmed Al-Amin, from murdering a high-profile government official, Titus travels to Caracas, Venezuela, where he learns the assassin is but one piece of a complicated international plot to deliver chemical weapons to some of America's most dangerous enemies.Facing the truth . . .Titus risks everything, including his future with Nikki, to capture Ahmed, but is it enough? Can his newfound faith sustain him when everything about his operation goes sideways?
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
One Day Gone
Mylas Grey is a private investigator but don’t call him a private detective. That title belongs to his father—not to him. Mylas is the Chief Investigator for Senator Davis Allen, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His job is to do background investigations for the President’s judicial nominees, and that’s the only kind of investigation he’s interested in doing.But then Lizzie, the Senator’s daughter, goes missing from her campus apartment. And suddenly, just like that, Mylas finds himself back in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, investigating her disappearance as if he were a run-of-the-mill private detective. Lizzie has a reputation for doing the unexpected, and she could have just left town for a few days without telling anyone. On the other hand, she could have done something stupid and gotten herself into serious trouble.When Mylas meets a beautiful photographer at his brother’s church, and she offers to help him find Lizzie, he finds himself getting a little distracted from the investigation—well, maybe more than a little distracted. As Mylas is forced to spend time in his hometown, he begins to question his career choice, his rejection of Christianity, and his failed personal relationships.Solving the mystery of Lizzie’s disappearance isn’t easy. It gets even more complicated when Mylas learns Lizzie was researching an article for her campus newspaper about a judge with a secret past. Is the judge connected to Lizzie’s disappearance? Did Lizzie’s boyfriend play a role? What about Lizzie’s roommate?
I loved this story! As I mentioned above, I was hooked from the first page. The story is more than a suspense novel. It is also Christian fiction which I was not expecting. It began as any other suspense thriller would. More than halfway into the story Mylas meets a woman he likes at his brother’s church and this is the point where faith issues become prominent. After Lizzy is found, the remaining two chapters are devoted to Mylas' faith journey. The blending of the mystery and faith seemed awkward because there was no mention of faith until the story was moving along at a fairly fast pace. It was surprising that the plot included it. The mystery of Lizzy's whereabouts as well as what she was up to was a wild ride and made the book worth reading.
4 out of 5 stars.
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
The Clock Reading Challenge
This morning I first learned about the Clock Reading Challenge and would love to participate. The challenge was started by Jo Linsdell in 2021 and she continues to host the challenge. The goal is to read books with the numbers one to twelve in their titles.