Author: ekkarn

Carter Blake Hunts The Samaritan (Hint Not a Good Samaritan)!

  By

The Samaritan – (Carter Blake #2) – Mason Cross

 

The Samaritan is book two in the Carter Blake series from Glasgow author Mason Cross. It is also the second of Blake’s adventures that I have read about.And I must say that I found this episode more enjoyable than the first. So I am really looking forward to Winterlong the third book in the series, that has been languishing on my library books to be read shelf for about five weeks!! See I checked it out of the library and then found out it was book three in the series. So I went back and read books one and two before partaking of book three.

The Story

 

In The Samaritan Carter Blake again seeks to find someone of doesn’t want to be found. In this case it is an old Winterlong team member Dean Crozier. As a member of Winterlong, Blake thought Crozier liked killing just a little too much. And now it appears that Crozier is back in his hometown of LA, preying upon young women in distress. After the bodies of three murdered women are found in shallow graves on an isolated LA hillside. Both Carter Blake and LAPD Detective Jessica Allen have seen the work of the Samaritan before. All three of the woman were tortured and then had their throats slashed with a rough bladed knife. Blake had seen the death strokes during his time with Winterlong. While Allen had seen them during her previous job in Washington D.C,

Blake soon comes to LA and offers his services to Detective Allen and her partner. Only this time Blake is not welcomed into the investigation.  In fact,  Blake has the tables turned on him, during the investigation, and  the hunter becomes the hunted!  But the ultimate question becomes – Can Allen and Blake catch the Samaritan before he takes more lives.

Thoughts About The Samaritan

 

It the beginning of this post I wrote that I enjoyed The Samaritan more than The Killing Season. There are several reasons for that increased enjoyment. First, I  enjoyed the overall plot and the pace of the book more in this  second book. That may be because I know Carter Blake a little better, but I don’t think that was all of it. Even though this is a pretty typical hunt for a serial killer book, I thought that Mason Cross added some big twists turning the hunter into the hunted and I never really saw the twist at the end coming. I also liked the character of Jessica Allen a little better than Elaine Banner in the first book. Jessica like Blake has an edge and often bucks the system when needed.

Bottom Line

Rating 4/5

I really really liked The Samaritan. I like the Carter Blake character more and more as his character grows with each book. The pages really flew by in the second half of the book! I couldn’t put it down! And when I did manage to put it down. it called me back very quickly!! Now I am off to read Winterlong where I know I’ll discover more about Carter Blake!! So Check these books out/ I do recommend that you start at the beginning of the series!!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Mason Cross

Author’s Website
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon

 

The Killing Season a Fine First Visit to the World of Carter Blake!

  By

📚 Series Spotlight: Carter Blake #1 – The Killing Season by Mason Cross

The Killing Season

Only five books were released in this series between 2014 and 2018, but I read them all—and they were really good. Here’s a look back at the one that kicked it off: The Killing Season, the debut novel by Mason Cross.

📖 About the Book

Carter Blake is not his real name. He used to work for a top-secret government unit known as Winterlong, but now he’s a man for hire, specializing in finding people who don’t want to be found. He’s eerily good at it—able to anticipate a target’s next move like a chess master.

In The Killing Season, Blake is hired to track Caleb Wardell, aka “The Chicago Sniper,” who escapes from death row just two weeks before his scheduled execution. The FBI brings Blake in to assist, and paired with Special Agent Elaine Banner, he begins a deadly cross-country pursuit.

The tension is high, the pacing fast, and the stakes feel real.

👤 About the Author

Mason Cross (born 1979, Glasgow) studied English at the University of Stirling and has worked as a tax officer, project manager, and even a pizza delivery driver. His short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen, Scribble, and First Edition. The Killing Season was his first novel, and it made quite a splash:

Longlisted for the 2015 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year

🔍 Thoughts on The Killing Season

I really enjoyed this one. It was well-paced, suspenseful, and packed with a few great surprises.

I did think the prior connection between Blake and Wardell felt a bit forced—but it worked for the plot. The idea that Blake could consistently outmaneuver the FBI stretched believability a little, but hey—that’s why he’s the guy they call, right?

There’s a deliberate mystique around Blake; we don’t learn much about him, but that fits the “lone wolf” archetype. I immediately picked up the second book, The Samaritan, and can confirm it also starts strong.

Rating: 4/5 – Highly Recommended for fans of Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X or Lee Child’s Jack Reacher.

🗣️ What Others Say

“Pulse-pounding. Mason Cross launches into The Killing Season with no-holds barred… one of the best new series characters since Jack Reacher.” – Lisa Gardner

“Mason Cross has created an enigmatic character in Carter Blake… taut, intelligent writing that oozes suspense. A highly impressive debut.” – Matt Hilton

“An American setting, universal themes, top-class writing, Scottish author—it’s a recipe that makes a deadly impact.” – Daily Record

🔗 Further Exploration

Stay tuned—I’ll be revisiting the rest of the series soon!

A Good Morning Run – Music by Jon Spear Band

  By

A Strong Four-Mile Morning Run with Some Great Blues from the Jon Spear Band

 

Yesterday morning was almost a perfect morning for a run.It was mostly cloudy and the temperature was in the low 70s. The only drawback was that the relative humidity was slightly high. It was also  the mid to low 70s. Because of the cloud cover I really didn’t need to worry about shade.I also knew I wanted to run a fairly flat course. So I ended up basically running a 4 plus mile course around town that I usually run but I ran it in reverse.

I actually did make one mistake on the run. Since I was coming in the opposite direction than I usually do along a street in the first half of the run, I turned on the street before my actual turn. That street turned out to be a cul-de-sac so I had turn around and go back, get on the street I turned off of and make the turn on the right street!!

I ran the first mile in 10:25 and the good thing was that while I slowed down over the next three miles the drop-off wasn’t nearly as great as it was the other day!! So when I arrived at the end of the run, I still had enough left to muster a little sprint!

The Results

Totals –  Distance : 4.23 Miles   Time 45:35   Average Pace 10:46

Mile Splits – Mile 1 – 10:25  Mile 2 10:41 Mile 3 11:02  Mile 4 – 11:05   0.22 – 10:24

Average Heart Rate: 144 bpm     Peak Heart Rate : 166 bpm    End of Run 156 bpm

Calories Burned: 598

The Soundtrack –  Jon Spear Band – Hot Sauce

Jon Spear BandHot Sauce is the latest release from the Jon Spear Band. Okay, so I must admit that I am unfamiliar with this band. But the minute I heard “Bottom of the Bottle”,the first track on this terrific album, I knew I was going to love this album. Hot Sauce is the third release from the band. The band’s debut album Old Soul was released in 2014. They followed that album in 2016 with a live album appropriately titled Live Music is Better

After the release of these two highly praised  albums,, the Jon Spear Band had a fantastic 2016. Here are some the highlights of the ban’s 2016……

• Our 2nd CD, “Live Music is Better” was nominated by Blues Blast Magazine and Blues411 for Best Live Blues Recording of 2016
• We were listed in the top 100 of the Roots Music Report’s Top Contemporary Blues Album Chart – for the SECOND year in a row!
• We were a “Reflections in Blue” Top Pick for 2016
• WMHB Top 100 Blues Chart, 2016
• 2016 WAMMIE nominee for best Blues/Traditional R&B Recording (Thank you Washington Area Music Association)
• International Blues Challenge Finalist for 2017 “Best Self-Produced CD” award

About the Jon Spear Band

The Jon Spear Band is a collaboration of some of Central Virginia’s finest blues musicians. The band calls Charlottesville, Va. home. The band is lead, of course, by Jon Spear. From Jon’s biography at the band’s website….

Award-winning singer-songwriter and guitarist Jon Spear doesn’t admit how long he’s been performing but here’s a hint: Jon was in a band that opened for the Isley Brothers at the Capital Theatre in Port Chester NY when Twist and Shout was top-40 hit….

A contemporary of Jon’s is the band’s drummer John Stubblefield. Again from the band’s website…..

Drummer John Stubblefield started playing drums around the time the Beatles made their US debut. His dad owned radio stations and he grew up loving all styles of music……

The two young guns of the band are bassist Bassist Andy Burdetsky and guitarist Dara James

Andy Burdetsky has been playing bass since his junior high school days back in the mid 70’s. Andy was born and raised in the D.C. area where he was influenced by such great musicians as the Nighthawks, Danny Gatton and Charlie Byrd….

Dara James is an amazing young talent with outstanding vocal, guitar and harmonica skills far beyond his years. Dara’s grandfather gave him his first harmonica when he was about 5 and he joined his first band with his father — Upland Express — at the age of 11,…..

Here’s what Peter Merrett, of PBS 106.7FM, Melbourne writes about the band….

“Not many groups can boast two virtuoso guitarists as The Jon Spear Band does and few can match the writing skill of Jon Spear and Dara James – obviously a first class band that know precisely how to play together.”

You can read the complete biographies of the band members at the band’s website – link

About Hot Sauce

But let’s get back to Hot Sauce. Like I wrote previously, this is one really good album. There’s a bit of everything I like in an album in Hot Sauce. Good vocals, great guitar work and catchy songs. Here’s what the band writes about the songs on Hot Sauce…..

  • Natchez Burning (a moaning blues song about the disastrous 1940 Rhythm Club fire that killed over 200 people);
  • Hot Sauce (I’ve tried Tabasco and Cholula too, but none of them get me anywhere near as hot as you);
  • Hit the Quarter (a catchy beach house dance number);
  • Pierre Jourdan (the story of how one of New Orleans’s richest men became the Crescent City’s most famous ghost);
  • Geographical Cure (just what it sounds like);
  • Blues (a sad look at the decimation of African wildlife);
  • Blues for a Soldier (the ones who call for war the most are the ones who know it least)
  • Butt-Dial Kyle (hilarious butt-dialing faux pas including an errant 911 call); and more.

I have highlighted my favorites on the album. I would also add the opening track “Bottom of the Bottle”!

Bottom Line: Highly Recommended – So Check it Out!!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of the Jon Spear Band

Artist Website
Facebook
Reverbnation
CDBaby

Here’s a playlist with some of my favorites from Hot Sauce

The Seventh Plague – James Rollins

  By ,
The Seventh Plague - James Rollins

Originally Posted July 2017 Revised and Updated April 2026

I do believe that I say this every time I read a new novel by James Rollins. I don’t know why I put off reading James Rollins books! His latest The Seventh Plague has been sitting on my “to be read” pile of library books for more than a month! Mistake! I finished it last night and it was great!

Winning the Battle- Books vs. Other Media

After finishing Charlie Donlea’s last book The Girl Who Was Taken I was reading his biography at his website. In it he writes about what makes a book good enough to win the battle between books and other media alternatives….

….And the answer is

The book has to call me back to it. If a story makes me think about it after I’ve put it down, if it makes me wonder what will happen next, if it makes me ponder where the characters are going and what is in store for them—then, when I’m free and able to spend leisure time on entertainment, hands down I’m reaching for that book before anything else.

 

Well, The Seventh Plague certainly kept calling me back! Typically, as I read a book I read to the end of a chapter and then go do something else. It seemed that every time I got to the end of a chapter in The Seventh P:lague, bam, something happened! And that something made it very hard to put the book down! It always left me feeling, I can’t wait to get back and see what happens!

Book: Edward come back

Me: I’ll be back as soon as possible!!

About The Seventh Plague

So let’s get back to The Seventh Plague. In the book James Rollins  blends a lot of history and science into an action packed compelling story! The story when archaeologist Harold McCabe who has been lost for two years in the desert in Sudan unexpectedly comes stumbling out of the desert. He wants to tell his story. However, he dies before his story is told.  After he dies, the doctors performing the autopsy on his partially mummifid body become ill with a mysterious disease. Soon the  mysterious disease starts to quickly spreads through Cairo.

More people become ill, after McCabe’s body is returned to Britain. A British doctor becomes concerned and calls her friend, Sigma Force director Painter Crowe. She is concerned because the archaeologist Harold McCabe had been searching for proof  that ten plagues of Moses are more than a fable..He believes that they really happened  And as the pandemic spreads the Doctor begins to believe that they may have happened So  the question becomes… can they happen again? The Sigma Forces’ assignment find out what’s happening an stop it. The only problem is that someone may not want them to stop it!!

In the novel, Rollins mixes the lives of  Doctors Stanley and Livingstone, Mark Twain,and Nicholas Tesla(?)  with the plagues of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt ! Oh, there’s even something about elephants thrown into the mix!

If you like action adventure, mixed with history and science coupled with compelling characters look no further  than the Sigma Force novels of James Rollins! Those books don’t only call you back to them. You also learn something from them. Is there anyone who may be more interesting than Nicholas Tesla?  In addition, the members of the Sigma Force and even the villains are great characters who face challenges on a global scale. But they also have lives outside of their work, so they also face the personal challenges of everyday life!

Finally, you can read most of the Rollins novels separately.  But like any series it’s always more fun knowing what has happened to the characters in their prior adventures. But don’t let that stop you. Read The Seventh Plague and then the rest of the books will call you to them

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

James Rollins

About James Rollins

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers. His writing has been translated into more than forty languages and has sold more than 20 million books. The New York Times says, “Rollins is what you might wind up with if you tossed Michael Crichton and Dan Brown into a particle accelerator together.” NPR calls his work, “Adventurous and enormously engrossing.”

Return to Authors Page
Return to Home

Louis Hayes Treats with a Serenade for Horace

  By Uncategorized

 

Serenade for Horace – Louis Hayes

 

This morning I was looking over the Jazz Charts at the Roots Music Reports. There were several albums on the chart by artists who I am unfamiliar with that I want to check out. But the album at number two was the one that first caught my attention. It’s title is Serenade for Horace by jazz drummer Louis Hayes.  Now two things combine here to make this album interesting to me. First, I know little about Louis Hayes. Now I’ve become familiar with Horace Silver’s music over the last few years. The reason is that many times when I listened to jazz on the radio, a song would come on that caught my attention. So I’d look to see who it was and many times it was Horace Silver!! Anyway when I saw the name Horace Silver I knew I would probably like the album. Guess what, I was right!!

About Louis Hayes

Louis HayesSerenade for Horace is actually, the 80-year old Louis Hayes’ (born May 31, 1937)  debut album on Blue Note as a leader. I say as a leader because in 1956 Louis moved from his hometown of Detroit to New York City. When he arrived in New York he joined the Horace Silver Quintet and became an intricate part of a group that produced such great Blue Note recordings like “Señor Blues,” “Sister Sadie,” and “Blowin’ the Blues Away.”

From the Horace Silver Quintet, Louis moved on to join Cannonball Adderley’s Quintet where he stayed until 1965. From 1965 to 1967 he was a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio  In 1972 The Louis Hayes Sextet was formed. That band subsequently became  the Louis Hayes-Junior Cook Quintet and the Woody Shaw-Louis Hayes Quintet. Since 1989 he has led his own band, and together with Vincent Herring formed the Cannonball Legacy Band.

Throughout the years Louis Hayes has also played with……

…..John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, Booker Little, Tommy Flanagan, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Ray Brown, Joe Henderson, Gary Bartz, and Tony Williams. He also led sessions for Vee-Jay (1960), Timeless (1976), Muse (1977), Candid (1989), Steeplechase (1989–1994), and TCB (2000–2002).Louis says te following about Serenade for Horace – More at Wikipeia

About Serenade for Horace

 

Serenade for Horace is composed of ten classic Horace Silver tracks and a new original “Hastings Street”, which is dedicated to Silver’s hometown – Detroit. Hayes is joined on the album by other members of the Jazz Communicator. Members include: bassist Dezron Douglas who-produced the album with Blue Note Records President Don Was, with  Maxine Gordon acting as executive producer,Steve Nelson, pianist David Bryant, tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, and trumpeter Josh Evans.

Louis says this about the album…

“I wanted to do this recording for Horace Silver because I wanted jazz fans to hear his music and I wanted to honor his memory,” writes Hayes in the album’s liner notes. “Horace and I always stayed in touch ever since I first worked with him. When he got to the point where he wasn’t feeling too well, I went to see him and one day he said to me ‘Louis, you’re a part of my history.’ I thought about what that meant and I began thinking about how to take Horace’s music and his legacy into the future.”

Bottom Line

Louis Hayes done his former boss proud on Serenade for Horace! This is definitely a strong 4.5 star album for me. In true hard bop fashion each of the band members get a chance to shine on the album. Right now as  type those post I’m listening to “Summer in Central Park” I just heard a nice Josh Evans trumpet solo, followed by Steve Nelson on vibes and now the piano of David Bryant. It doesn’t get much better! I heard a great Louis Hayes drum solo on “St. Vitus Dane” Just great hard bop so Check It Out!!! I’m finishing up to the Horace Silver classic “Señor Blues”.

Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Louis Hayes

Artist’s Website
Facebook
Amazon
YouTube
Blue Note Records

So how about a short playlist with those three tracks I mentioned earlier….

Can Steve Hamilton’s Nick Mason Find His Exit Strategy?

  By

Exist Strategy – Steve Hamilton  (Nick Mason #2)

 

Exit Strategy is the second. book in the Nick Mason series from author Steve Hamilton. The Second Life of Nick Mason  was the first book in the series and it introduced readers to a different kind of hero. Nick Mason was a prisoner serving 25 years as the result of a robbery gone wrong. While in prison gang kingpin Darius Cole offers Nick his freedom, but not without a catch. The catch is that Nick has to carry out any mission assigned to him. And if he doesn’t hs ex-wife and nine-year old daughter will pay a heavy price. The missions – kill people who Cole needs dead!!

About the Books of Steve Hamilton

I have been a fan of Steve Hamilton and his character Alex McKnight since I read the second book in that series Winter of the Wolf. I had gone to the library to check out his first McKnight novel A Cold Day in Paradise but it was checked out. So I settled for Winter of the Wolf and I’ m glad I did because I have read every book since!!

From Steve Hamilton’s website:

About: Exit Strategy

Darius Cole has a problem, He has been granted a retrial based upon an Anonymous Juror violation. His problem is that  the two key witnesses that testified against him in his first trial twelve years ago are still around and ready to testify again! They both are in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

Like Darius Cole, Nick Mason has a problem. It is Darius Cole! Nick hates the life he has to lead. All he wants is to get back to living a normal life, particularly with his nine-year old daughter Adriana. That can’t ever happen unless Nick figures out an exit strategy from Darius.

So with that on his mind Nick is given an assignment kill the witness set to testify against Cole. Once gain it pains Nick to be directed to kill. Mason becomes more determined to break free of the clutches of Cole, but can he do it before the next assignment breaks him!

Bottom Line

Exit Strategy is a strong 4 star book for me. The book really has everything you’d want. An engaging main character in Nick Mason.There are also a ton of engaging secondary characters. They include  Mason’ daughter and ex-wife, Cole’s woman Diana who is Mason’s house mate. She is as much a prisoner of Cole’s as Mason is. There is also police detective Frank Sandoval. Sandoval has been on Mason’s trail since the crime that sent Mason to prison.

Then there is also a great storyline. Although I do think that some of Nick’s escapes during his missions were a little hard to believe. But those things are not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for the book. It certainly didn’t slow down the rapid reading pace that the book had me reading!! So Check it Out!!

Book 31 for 2017

A – Mile Morning  Run Because It’s Hot and I’m Old! Three

  By

July 12 th – A Three – Mile Morning  Run Because It’s Hot and I’m Old!

 

Ok so this morning when I checked the weather it was sunny and almost 80 degrees. The forecast is that temperatures will climb into the low 90s today. It would not have taken much to convince myself not to run! But I fought the impulse to do that. Rather I decided that the best idea was to shorten my run to around three miles. Additionally, I decided to plot out a course that would maximize shade! The final thing I needed to do was to tell myself to take it easy!

The Run

So with all that in mind I set out.The first half-mile was fairly easy some clouds blocked the direct sunlight so it wasn’t too hot. By the time the sun did come out I was almost to shade. I reached that shade just a little before the first mile mark. I reached that Mile mark at 11:03 into the run.. Ah, shade and I was almost to the high point of the run. I reached that high point in another few minutes

 

Photo 1 - Going Up Oak Towards that Shade!

Photo 1 – Going Up Oak Towards that Shade!

Photo 2 – The Shade Along Moreland Ave. Heading towards the Highpoint along Fairview St.

Ah, now it was downhill in the shade for most of the decent. I was in and out of the sun for the second half of that mile. Again I had planned the course to maximize the shade and it worked. I ran the second mile in 10:39. Again most of it was downhill.

Photo 3 – Along the downhill on Pancoast Ave.

Now all I had to do was make it through the last mile. Most of that mile was in the sun. Luckily I convinced myself that I could go slow and no one would care!

When I was heading into the last stretch of the run I noticed my overall pace was just a little over 11 minutes per mile so I mustered what Speed I could get and I finished at 11 minute per mile pace. The time for the last mile was 11:28 but my sprint pace at least for .1 miles was 9:37.

When I finished the run my heart rate was 165, but within four minutes of walking around the block it was down to 116.

The Post Run Walk

As I walked and cooled down, I thought why don’t I try to stay in the shade and try to walk for a mile. I walked in the shadows at the school for a bit and the around the Spring Garden park and made the mile. Because my heart rate was still over 100 it was a good fat-burning walk!!

The Results:

3.1 mile run – 34:15. Average pace: 11 min/mile
Average heart rate 147 bpm – 443 calories burned.

1.0 mile walk – Average heart rate 118 bpm
215 calories burned

Not too bad!

The Soundtrack for the run was a blues album. The latest from Julian Sas – Feelin’ Alive and sometimes during the run I actually did!

I’ll review the album in a bit at FreeWheelin Music Safari.

To try to make these posts a little less boring., I thought I’d add a few pictures to show you where I was actually running! What do you think?

Parnell Hall -A Puzzle to Be Named Later and the Series Gets Better and Better!

  By ,

Originally Posted July 2017 revised April 2026

Ok so maybe juts maybe Parnell Hall is not going to win any major literary awards for his Puzzle Lady series. But if you are looking for a fast, funny and just enjoyable read try a Puzzle Lady book! I admit I have not read even close to the majority of the book series. I usually just pick up one of them at the library when I need a laugh break from all the murder and mayhem that I read.

The latest one that I just finished A Puzzle to Be Named Later was a welcome break after the last few intense books that I’ve finished. Especially, Chris Carter’s I Am Death and of course the ongoing circus of the Trump Administration.

My History with Parnell Hall

I first started reading the books of Parnell Hall way back in 1991 when I read my first Stanley Hastings mystery. Strangler, which was the fourth book in the series. Since then I have read all but two of the books in the now 20 book series.

One of the books that I haven’t read is A Fool for a Client which is book 20 in the series. I totally missed the release of this one. But is now being held at my local branch of the Burlington County Library System. Anyway, the point is that I have always preferred Stanley over Cora but after reading more of the Puzzle Lady books, Cora is growing on me. Booklist writes this about Cora……

“If sweet-looking, gray-haired Miss Marple cursed, smoked, and carried a gun in her purse, she’d be a ringer for Cora Felton.”

AboutA Puzzle To Be Named Later

In A Puzzle to Be Named Later  Cora is once again in the middle of a Bakerhaven murder investigation. This time the murder revolves around an up and coming new star pitcher for the New York Yankees – Matt Greystone. After signing a huge contract Greystone, who came to the Yankees as a “player to be named later”, breaks his arm in an automobile crash.

Greystone moves to Bakerhaven to avoid the bright lights of  New York and rehab in peace. When a sleazy New York gossip columnist is found dead in Matt’s sauna, during a welcome to Bakershaven bash, Matt’s wife becomes the prime suspect. There is also a crossword puzzle found with the dead man. The solution to the puzzle says “you’ll find a surprise in the file of this guy”. That sends Cora onto the trail of the killer and she won’t stop to she finds out who did it!

Bottom Line:

The Cora Felton Puzzle Lady books are a fun and welcome change from gruesome murder mysteries. Parnell is a master of witty dialogue. He also is great at creating characters, who are foils for his lead characters. Cora Felton has two foils. First. Captain Harper of the Bakerhaven police. And secondly, Sargent Crowley of the NYPD. Cora’s relations with both policemen are some of the best parts of the books.

So let’s see A Puzzle to Be Named Later gets 5 stars for a fun character and snappy dialogue, 3 stars for artistic style i.e descriptiveness, creation of a sense of place, etc. Finally 4 stars for a twisty turning plot that kept my interest. Those twists never stopped until the last pages of the book.  Averaging those three ratings gives the book a solid 4 star rating.  That means that I really, really liked A Player to be Named Later.

Now I must admit that I am a lot like Cora Felton, when it comes to doing crossword puzzles. I don’t do them very well. In each book puzzles from Will Shortz provide clues to solve the mystery. I guess in one of these books, I really have to try to solve some of these puzzle. Does anyone else who read these books, do the puzzles? Just curious!

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Parnel Hall - author of Stanley Hastings and Puzzle Lady novels

About Parnell Hall

If you like a little humor in your books….

You might enjoy these authors:

Tim Dorsey
Janet Evanovich
Christopher Moore

Whether you’re solving crosswords with Cora or running from the mob with Stephanie Plum, these authors prove that a good mystery is always better with a side of laughter.

Marked for Life by Emilie Schepp – One of the best of 2016!

  By

Marked for Life – Emelie Schepp

 

Sometime last month I picked up Emelie Scheep’s book Marked for Revenge. On the cover it said that she was “2016  Swedish Crime Writer of the Year”. I am a fan of Nordic crime writing. That meant there was no way this book was not gong home with me. When I got it home though I discovered that the book was the second book in a trilogy. I decided that there was no sense in reading book two first and then book one so I checked out the first book of the trilogy Marked For Life. I read it first. When I finished it I agreed that the Crime Writer of the Year award was justly deserved.

Quickly, I moved onto the already checked out Marked for Revenge.  I finished that about two weeks later in th middle of June. I just checked and it seems that I will have to wait until June of 2018 for the release of Marked for Death the final book in the trilogy!!

About Marked for Life

 

Jana Berzelius is a young and brilliant but cold, Public Prosecutor in Norrköping Sweden. She is the adopted daughter of the former Prosecutor General Karl Berzelius. Jana knows very little about her past. Most of what she does know she has learned from her dreams. She does know, however, that the name KER is carved into the back of her neck. KER “Goddess of Death”. It’s the one thing that her father told her she could never tell anyone about. Everything thing is going well in her life…

But then a high-ranking official of the Migration Board is founded murdered in his home. The only clue revealed during the police investigation are the fingerprints of a child. The puzzling thing is that the victim and his wife are childless.Jana steps in to lead the police investigation.

Several days after the murder, the police find the dead body of their young prime suspect. The police discover the name Hades carved on the back of his neck. Jana’s world is suddenly turned upside down. The name Hades who is the God of Death is very similar to KER, the name carved on the back of her neck. Images from Jana’s dark past-life soon come racing back to her. Now, in order to both uncover and protect her hidden past Jana must find the real suspect behind these two murders before police, she is leading, unravel the crime. To do that she needs to explore her past in all its gory detail!

Thoughts About Marked for Life

In addition to  the terrific story, and the great character of Jana Berzelius, there are a couple of aspects of Marked for Life that I really liked.

First, Emelie Schepp tells the story of Jana’s past life brilliantly through a series of flashbacks.  Emelie reveals Jana’s past bit by bit. That slow revealing of her past helped keep me turning the pages with increasing rapidity!! . I do appreciate that rather than just distinguish the flashbacks from current time through the title page of the chapter, the flashbacks are in  italics. By presenting  the flashbacks like this the reader is never confused about whether or not he or she is reading about the past or the present!!

Secondly,  Jana is obviously the main character of the book. However,  Emelie has also created a cast of characters, any of which could be the lead in a future novel. First there’s Gunnar Öhrn head of the CID and his on and off again partner Anneli Lindgren, Then there’s DCI Henrik Levin, and his partner Mia Bolander.  I could see a book with any of them as the lead character!!

Bottom Line: 

Marked for Life is a sure-fire five-star book for me. Obviously, those who bestowed the Crime Writer of the Year Award on her thought so , too!.The two comments on the back cover of the book sum up my thoughts perfectly……

“A fast-paced thriller with a good blend of police procedural, the draw of a ninja-strong female lead, and enough adrenaline to make a good night’s sleep a near impossibility” – Booklist

” A stellar first in a crime trilogy… Schepp couples an insightful look at the personal and professional lives of her characters with an unflinching multi-layered plot loaded with surprises – Publishers Weekly , starred review

Yes this is one book you don’t want to miss. I’m glad I didn’t!! I just discovered that you can buy the Kindle Edition of Marked for Life at Amazon now for only $1.99 what a buy!! Get it here

Book 25 of 2017

.

 

 

The Girl Who Was Taken : Another Winner from Charlie Donlea

  By ,

The Girl Who Was Taken – Charlie Donlea

The Girl who was Taken - Charlie Donlea

The Girl Who Was Taken is second book written by Charlie Donlea I read his debut novel Summit Lake last year and thought it was a great read. I think that this book is even better. So I can’t wait for book his next book!

 The Story

In The Girl Who Was Taken, two girls are taken. After two weeks one girl escapes Magen McDonald. She becomes a celebrity while the second girl Nicole Cutty is forgotten.

That is until the body of a jumper turns up on the autopsy table of her Nicole’s sister Livia. Her autopsy reveals that the young man did not commit suicide but was murdered. In addition, Livia discovers that the young man was Nicole’s boyfriend during the summer she when she was taken.

Soon Livia sets out to discover what happened on the night Nicole was taken, on the night that Livia did not answer Nicole’s frantic call.

The tale of Nicole’ taking and Livia’s hunt are told side by side through the book. Nicole’s story is told in short flashback passages and while Livia’s in present time.

The third story that weaves its way through the book is Megan’s story. Though she has become a celebrity through a book that she wrote about her miraculous escape, she has never forgotten about Nicole. Throughout the book Megan tries to discover more and more about her taking. She is particularly interested where she was kept. Why? Because it wasn’t the bunker that she escaped from!

Bottom Line

The Girl Who Was Taken is a four and half star book for me. Maybe even a five-star book!

The story line was great. It had several twists and turns. Then, when it all came together in the final pages I couldn’t believe what I was reading!! The characters were all believable especially Livia Cutty and well Nicole, too. I really don’t think that we have heard the end of their story! As  I said in the beginning of this post I can;’ wait for Charlie’s next book.

The Girl Who Was Taken and Books Have to Call You Back!

Charlie wrote on his website that when he started out to write his books he knew that they face a lot of competition from other mediums, i.e TV, the Internet and movies. So he thought about what made him put down the remote or the mouse and pick up a book instead. He concluded that “the book has to call him back” So he has issued a challenge……..

So try them. Pick up one of my books and get into the story. Then, put it down and get on with your life. If the characters or the setting or the mystery calls you back to it, then turn off the television for a night, stow the tablet at bedtime, and read a good book. And if you’re able to figure out the twist in Summit Lake or The Girl Who Was Taken, let me know by dropping me a line. I’d love to hear from you.

Yes, both of his books did call me back! And know I didn’t figure out the twists in either of the books. How about you???? Believe me it’s worth trying!

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon