Author: ekkarn

Storm Watch (Joe Pickett #23). – C.J.Box

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Storm Watch (Joe Pickett #23). – C.J.Box

So far I have finished two books this month. The first Blind Justice was my first visit to the world of Detective Sargent Aector McAvoy from David Mark. While the second Storm Watch was my 22nd visit to the world of C.J.Box‘s Joe Pickett.

I first met Joe Pickett and his family in 2003, when I read Savage Run the second book in the series. I soon read the Open Season book one in the series and I’ve only missed one book in the series! You can check out more here

Storm Watch (Joe Picket #23) -C.J. Box

Storm Watch begins with Joe performing his typical Game Warden duties. Joe receives a call regarding an elk cow that has been hit by a car and Joe responses and track the elk far into the mountains. After finding the elk Joe finds a mysterious building, when he explores it further he finds it is filled with a ton of computers. Oh, there is also a dead body stuck halfway in a window! Soon Joe is called by the Governor and told not to investigate the murder.

Meanwhile, Joe’s friend Nate Romanowski is approached by an ex-black ops operator  to join an anti-government group that’s planning some big action.

So can Joe and Nate stay out of trouble? Are the murder and Nate’s request the join the Sovereign Nation group connected?

Bottom Line

I was somewhat disappointed with Shadows Reel (book 22) in the series. I just didn’t think it was one of Box’s best. However, I do think he redeemed himself with this one! The only thing that didn’t happen was Joe’s truck finished  the book unscathed!

Links for the Further Explorations of the Books of C.J.Box

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Goodreads:Joe Pickett Series

As a side note, I finally watched the first episode of Paramount’s Joe Pickett. Overall, I thought it was very good and I will continue watching. So check it out!

Noir and Girl, Forgotten Recent Reads Part 1

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Noir and Girl forgottenNoir and Girl,Forgotten are the 43rd and 44th books I have read in 2022. Both were written by authors who are among my favorites. Cristopher Moore wrote Noir and Karin -Slaughrer penned Girl, Forgotten. Since Noir is book 43 I’ll write about it in Part 1…..

Noir

Through the years  I have read and enjoyed many of Christopher  Moore’s books.Typically, I find them extremely funny and Noir is just that…. From Moore’s website…

The absurdly outrageous, sarcastically satiric, and always entertaining New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns in finest madcap form with this zany noir set on the mean streets of post-World War II San Francisco, and featuring a diverse cast of characters, including a hapless bartender; his Chinese sidekick; a doll with sharp angles and dangerous curves; a tight-lipped Air Force general; a wisecracking waif; Petey, a black mamba; and many more. Read More

The Bottom Line

The Bottom Line is Noir deserves between around 4.5 thumbs ups. What the plot lacks, the setting and characters and Moore’s quick wit more than make up for, leaving me laughing and happy! But don’t just take my word for it here’s what some others say about Noir….

Moore is a master of metaphor and a sultan of simile. . . .It takes an author of remarkable talents to keep a profitably urinating snake, a dame named for a dairy product, and a slimy extraterrestrial all running through a narrative.”
– Washington Independent Review of Books

Raymond Chandler meets the SyFy Channel… Fans of noir film and fiction will find a lot to enjoy in this loving genre tribute, and those already familiar with Moore’s books will simply be in love.”
– Library Journal (starred review)

So Check it Out! As for me I will be checking out Moore’s latest book Razzmatazz soon!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Christopher Moore

Author’s Webpage
Chris’s Blog
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon

Jeff Gunhus -SilentThreat – A Wild Ride

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Jeff Gunhus -Silent Threat
So if you’re in a Dollar Tree over the next few weeks and see a book titled Silent Threat buy it! You should buy it because it’s everything that Steve Berry says about this Jeff Gunhus book on the front cover.

“With an aplha female herione and a tantaliuzing premise, this hard-edged, gripping thrillermatches wits and wiles, delivering an entertaining romp”

Mara Roberts is the female herione and we meet her in the first sentence, which drew me into the book immediately…….

Mara Roberts knew the Agency would try to kill her father the day he got out of prison; she just didn’t expect her to be the one to do it.

Mara’s father Scott Roberts is a former agent and a convicted traitor, was responsible for the death of Mara’s mother and is in fact Mara’s father! Needless to say there is no love lost between Mara and her father. However, the killing dod not go as planned and soon Mara and her father are on the run.

Mara, who is an ex-Marine. She is also one the Agnecy’s most reliable assasin’s! Needless to say her  world is turned upside dow,  as she and her father head first to Chicago to get answer, from the ex-President of the US is speaking! Their most important is: Who ordered the hit onMara’s mother?? Wait Scott didn’t kill her mother?? Oh, and to make sure that Mara kills her father the agency has kidnapped her nephew!!

Stteve Berry characterizes Silent Threat as an “entertaining romp”. I’d say it’s more of a “wild ride,” with a lot of twists, as Mara and Scott are not only being chased by the Agency, but also by a shadowy cabal known as “Omega”. Who present a clear and present danger to Mara, Scott and the World!!!

Bottom Line

The bottom line Silent Threat is a terrific read and proof that great bargain books can be found at Dollar General. Jeff Gunhus is a USA Today best-selling author. He writes thrillers and horror for adults, fantast for middle-graders, and picture books for  children. So Check Out Silent Threat.  As for me, I have already purchased the ebook version of Imminent Threat (Mara and Scott Roberts #2),

 

Links for the Further Exploration of the Writings of Jeff Gunhus

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Amazon

 

The Resting Place -Camilla Sten ( Book 30 of 2022)

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The Resting Płace - Camilla Sten

Now that I am semi back into the swing of writing blog posts, I’ll first try to write about the books that I am currently reading, or just finished. With that being said, I just finished The Resting Place by Camilla Sten and it was really, really good!

The Resting Place is Camilla Sten’s second novel. The first was internationally acclaimed The Lost Village. Rights for The Lost Village have been sold to 17 territories around the world including film and TV. And based on The Resting Place I’m sure it’s terrific! In fact I just checked the Ebook version out at my local library!

About The Resting Place


The Resting Place is set in Sweden and begins when Eleanor is coming to dinner at her grandmother Vivianne’s house. Eleanor suffers from prosopagnosia (face blindness) so she doesn’t recognize the person who rushed by her, when she was entering Vivianne’s apartment. However, when she discovered her grandmother’s dead body in the apartment, she know that she had come face to face with a killer.  Maddeningly, she didn’t know who it was!

After weeks over agonizing over the murder, a lawyer calls. Vivianne, has left Eleanor an estate     outside  of Stockholm. An estate that Vivianne had kept hidden from Eleanor her whole life!

Soon Eleanor, her boyfriend Sebastian, Aunt Veronica, and Rikard the lawyer are off to inventory the estate. The estate is a house of secrets and it doesn’t wish to reveal them! Consequently, as the group starts to get closer to a truth that will turn everything Eleanor knows about her family, things get deadlier!

The Bottom Line

The Resting Place is….(from the book jacket)

A heart-thumping, relentless thriller, that will shake you to the core, The Resting Place is an unforgettable  novel of horror and suspense.

The story is told in alternating chapters. Current action is told from Eleanor’s POV. While the past is reveled by Anushka a maid, who worked for Vivianne’s family.

Although the story was somewhat predictable, I I was never sure what the final answers would be until the end. And it was a pretty wild ride to get there!

All in all, The Resting Place is a strong 4.5 star book. Check It Out! As for me I can’t wait to read The Lost Village!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books Camilla Sten

MacMillan:Camilla Sten
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon

When I first saw this book in the library, the name Sten seemed familier, but I just couldn’t place it. When I googled Camilla’s name to śrutę this post I saw her mother is the reason the band Śten is familiar. Way back in 2015, Iread read her mother  Viveca Sten’s book Still Waters book one on her Sandhamn series! I enjoyed the book a lot,  ut have necer read another of her books same on me! Maybe it’s time to delve into that series again!

No Posts? But a Wedding and Six Books Read!

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Ok so I once again am apologizing for not posting anything new here, since June 3rd! However, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing a lot of reading, listening, running and trying to be the best me I can be…..

Elizabeth’s Wedding

On July 10th I got to do a Dad thing, at my daughter Elizabeth’s wedding.

It was a beautiful day and wedding held at Terrain at Styers  in Glen Mills, Pa. The venue was perfect for my daughter! And I can’t say enough about the staff from top to bottom.

In the pictures above, clockwise from the upper left. New son-in -law Marcus and Elizabeth without grandchildren Zoe and her little brother Logan and big cousin Oliver. Zoe and Oliver were born six months apart in 2014. Oliver in March and Zoe in September!!

Next Elizabeth’s entrance with an honored Dad!
Oliver rocking out with the ladies and finally the father daughter dance.

I must admit that my good ear was plugged that day and as a result I had trouble hearing anything including this song. During the dance I asked what we were dancing to and she said something from Iron & Wine. I said I know the name but never listened to his music.

The next day I said something about the dance to my wife and she told me Elizabeth and I had danced to “Forever Young”. I replied “Bob Dylan’s song? She said “Yes”.  I am kinda glad I didn’t hear it because it’s my favorite song from Dylan’s Planet Waves album and hearing it may have made me kinda misty eyed.

No Posts? I was Busy Reading

But let’s get back to not posting! My last post was about my proposed June reads. Here’s a picture of my proposed reads…..

So how have I done so far? I have read four of the nine books shown. I’m addition, I have read two books by authors shown just not the books shown.

Which ones did I read? You’ll just have to wait until the next post to find out!

For now let’s listen to Bob Dylan’s version of “Forever Young”…..

Creating My Proposed June Reading List – Part 1

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  Sculpting My Proposed June Reading List – Part 1 From  My Mountain of “To Be Read” library books.

 

Books for My Proposed June Reading List
Yesterday I mentioned my Mountain of “To Be Read” library books. The above photograph shows nine of the books I have checked out. The first  thing you must understand is that all of the books were not checked out on the same day. Now I don’t know if any of you have this problem.

I have a tendency to take two books back and bring home three! Take back three bring home four and before long you have a stack like the one you see at the top of this post!

Only two of the books were checked out on a whim!  Here are the first five books atop the mountain! Let’s  create My Proposed June Reading List – Part 1.


Winterkill

Winterkill – (Dark Iceland #6) Ragnar Jonnason

I’ve read three Ragnar Jonnason books so far this year and one in December of 2020. The book I read in December of 2020 was Rupture. It’s Book #4 in the series. Wait, What! No way yes way…White Out is book #4. Damm  the first book on the list and I screwed up. I will move it to the bottom off the pile. Then I’ll check the library for White Out and read that  first!

Anyway I’ve been reading a lot of Jonasson’s books are they’re great!

book on My Proposed June Reading List

Whispers of the Dead – (Special Tracking Unit #2) – Spencer Kope  Currently Reading

Magnus “Steps” Craig is the prime member of the three team FBI Special Tracking Unit. He is in fact the reason for the Special Tracking Unit. The reason is that after being in an accident and dead for many minutes, he was revived, and now he sees people’s shine. Each person has a color and textural shine that is as individual as a fingerprint. Match the shine to a suspect and you can solve a murder case!

In March I read Shadows of the Dead book 3 in the currently,  three book series. The fourth book Echoes of the Dead is scheduled to be released in September of this year. That means Collecting the Dead book 1 in the series needs to be read before that  release date.

All in all , a very enjoyable series so far.

A book on My Proposed June Reading List P
These Women – Ivy Pochoda

Not the type of book I’d typically read, but I thoroughly enjoyed Visitation Street, so I thought I’d give it a try. From Goodreads:

So Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power, and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer nicknamed Jujubee, who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood. Read More

Cold Windd
Cold Wind – Paige Shelton 

This was on of the books i picked out on a whim. Since the cover only said “A Mystery” it wasn’t part of a series. Wrong! It is book 2 in the Alaska Mysteries series. Like the Special Tracking Unit series this is a new series. Book 3 in the series will be released in December. So I think I will set Cold Wind aside and read Thin Ice first!

A book on My Proposed June Reading List
One by One – Ruth Ware

I became a Ruth Ware fan last year after reading Turn of the Key.  So when I saw One by One at the library I picked it up. It didn’t hurt that it had just seen that it has been shortlisted for the Ian Fleming Silver Dagger Award  for thrillers!

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them? Read More

Sounds good to me!

As a Side Note: Michael Robotham’s When She Was Good was also shortlisted. It’s Book #2 in Robotham’s Cyrus Haven Series. Check It Out !

Michael’s series featuring pyshcologist  Joe O’Loughlin is an all-time favorite!

My  Proposed June Reading List – Part 1

So I’ve presented in this post the first five books on my Mountain “To Be Read” library pile. Let’s see the end result of my ramblings……

First, I will continue reading Whispers of the Dead – next up will be Ivy Pochoda’s These Women : followed by   One by One – Ruth Ware

I will set aside Winterkill – Ragnar Jonasson and Cold Wind – Page Shelton.  I will find and check out the books that precede them before enjoying them!

 

 

Romeo’s Way (Mike Romeo #2) – James Scott Bell

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Romeo’s Way -James Scott Bell
Book 22 – Romeo’s Way (Mike Romeo #2) – James Scott Bell

Through the years I have had many of my favorite mystery and thriller characters whom I liked because of their wise-cracking and  often times self-deprecating nature. Mike Romeo has joined that group. In fact, he may be the current leader of the group! And with his espousing of philosophical quotes, he may be in a group all by himself. For me he may be the most interesting character in the mystery genre.

In Romeo’s Way, Mike is hired by a political candidate, who is being accused by his opponent, of having an affair. Mike is tasked with going undercover and joining the opposition’s campaign team to discover what’s happening. And the path leading to the final solution is a wild twisting one!

Romeo’s Way was a quick read. It was a well interesting throughout the book so the pages just flew by.

When I went to store the book on my Goodreads shelf I saw that Romeo’s Way was the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for beat e-book original. In my opinion it is a well-deserved award.

Additionally, while I have several books on my “to be read” library shelf, I wouldn’t be surprised if I snuck Romeo’s Hammer  book #3 in the series into the mix!! So Check it out!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Writing of James Scott Bell

Author’s Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon
Goodreads

A former trial lawyer associated with one of L.A.’s top law firms and later working out of an independent office, JAMES SCOTT BELL is now a full-time, award-winning suspense writer. He lives and writes in Los Angeles. You can visit his website at www.jamessottbell.com.

Four Proposed Reads Will Take Me to Three States and Iceland

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My four proposed reads for the end of January and the first half of February

I mentioned yesterday I have finished three books so far in 2021. The latest being The Boy from the Woods. Books 1 and 2 were Where the Forest Meets the Stars and The Wives respectively.

Typically, I don’t usually read books like either Where the Forest Meets the Stars or The Wives. However, last year I did read several books that were not crime based mysteries or thrillers and enjoyed all of them!

 In the next few days I’ll post a list of the books I read in 2020 and also try to write about the two books that started 2021.

The picture at the top of this post are my proposed reads for the next four weeks. Two of the books are from authors who are among my favorites, James Grippando and Ragnar Jonasson. While one is from an author I read in the later part of 2020 John McMahon. The final book was written by an author who is new to me, Alice Henderson.

Hmm, I often like to think of the books I read in relationship to their setting. So let’s see where I’ll be traveling to via my proposed reads…


The Evil Men Do – John McMahon – Mason Falls, Georgia

My first proposed read will take me to Mason Falls, Georgia. The hometown of fictional detective P.T. Marsh. I met P.T. In the book The Good Detective. It was the first book to chronicle a case he and his partner Remy worked. From Goodreads…

The author of The Good Detective delivers a gripping and atmospheric new novel in which a cop takes on a harrowing new case and confronts old personal demons. What if the one good thing you did in your life doomed you to die?

Read More


A Solitude of Wolverines – Alice Henderson – Northwestern Montana

The action in this thriller will take me to northwestern Montana. This one of my proposed reads is the first in a series featuring Alex Carter….from Goodreads

“Both a mystery and a survival story, here is a novel written with a naturalist’s eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. It reminded me of the best of Nevada Barr.” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey  

The first book in a thrilling series featuring an intrepid wildlife biologist who’s dedicated to saving endangered species…and relies on her superior survival skills to thwart those who aim to stop her. Read More


The Mist – Ragnar Jonasson – Iceland

In The Mist I will be transported to Iceland. I don’t think I would like living in Iceland but I do like visiting.

The Mist is actually Book 3 in Jonasson’s Hidden Iceland series. So I have decided to try and read Books 1 and 2 in the series before tackling The Mist. As such, I have started book 1 in the series The Darkness and have checked out The Island book 2 in the series.

Twenty – James Grippando – Florida

Finally, Florida is the home of lawyer Jack Swyteck in the proposed read Twenty. It’s book   17 in Grippando’s Swyteck series. From Goodreads….

Jack Swyteck and his family are caught in the crossfire after a deadly school shooting claims twenty casualties—Florida’s fifth mass shooting in as many years—in this provocative and timely thriller from Harper Lee Prize–winner James Grippando that touches on some of the most contentious issues roiling America today. Read More

So now I’m off to Iceland to see what’s happening  in the world of Hulda Hermannsdóttir in The Darkness .Wish me luck!

The Boy from the Woods -Harlan Coben delivers again!

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The Boy from the Woods - Harlan Coben

I have been reading, all be it at a slower pace than typical during the winter months. So far, I have finished three books. I finished The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben yesterday afternoon. It’s book number 3 for 2021.

The  book is a stand alone novel and not part of the Myron Bolitar series. However, it does feature criminal lawyer Hester Crimstein, who has made appearances in many Bolitar books

About The Boy from the Woods

In The Boy from the Woods Hester‘s grandson Matthew contacts her and asks her to look into the disappearance of a school mate, Naomi Pine. Naomi is an outcast and a target for relentless bullying.

The search for Naomi brings Hester back to her home and town, where she raised her four boys. The town where her son,  Matthew‘s father lost his life in an auto accident.

To aid in the search,  Hester contacts Wilde, the boy from the woods. Thirty years earlier, Wilde was found in the  woods living as a feral child wirth no memory of his past.  Wilde grew up in a foster home and David became his best friend.

The search for Naomi led Wilde, and Hester to the Maynard family. Their son Crash is a classmate of Naomi and Matthew and a bullier of Naomi’s.

The Maynard family is embroiled in a controversy revolving around tapes that may end the Presidential campaign of a pat reality show host. As the search for Naomi intensifies the two storylines collide and Wilde and Hester need to use all their wiles to figure it all out!!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I didn’t race though most of  The Boy from the Woods like I have in other Harlan Coben books. However, the second half of the book and the conclusion more than made up for any deficiencies of the first half of the book!

Overall , I found Wilde to be an interesting character and certainly would like to see him in more action. It was also interesting to see Hester in her own book with only one reference to Myron!

I did think that aspects of the book are very timely. And considering the similarity to what we saw during the Trump presidency.

Again while I didn’t think it was Coben’s best, it’s still a 4-star book for me. I look forward know to see the Netflix show and see if the characters are anything like I imagined!!

Links for Further Explorations of the Works of Harlan Coben

Author’s Website
Wikipedia
Goodreads
Amazon

 

Balancing Reading and Writing And Riley Sager’ Home Before Dark

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Book 45 Home Before Dark – Riley Sager

This is the second book I’ve read written by Riley Sager. The first was Final Girls which I read earlier this year.  Both were outstanding books. Goodreads writes this about Home Before Dark

Home Before Dark ….. is praised for its creepy atmosphere, engaging plot, and clever twists, though some readers found the ending rushed or the supernatural elements less satisfying

The Fictional Past of the House of Horrors

Home Before Dark revolves around Baneberry Hall in the woods of Vermont. The rambling Victorian Estate also known as House of Horrors. The House of Horrors  name comes from the super successful memoir written by Ewan Holt which recants his family’s  horror filled 28 day stay in the house. Much of the action in the memoir centered around the  8 year old daughter in the family Maggie. Maggie throughout the family’s ordeal saw abs played with ghosts and even had her life threatenedp!

Throughout the next years of her life Maggie lived in the shadows of the book. Upon her father’s death Maggie discovers he never sold the house and now she has inherited Baneberry Hall. Now Maggie returns to Baneberry Hall to renovate it for resale.

Maggie Returns to The House of Horrors – What’s Real What’s not?

Maggie has always been told that, while the House of Horrors was written as a nonfiction memoir, in truth it was fiction. However, Maggie has always questioned that because she has vague  memories from the past! And now as strange occurrences start to occur straight out of the book Maggie questions what is real and what’s fiction even more.

Home Before Dark alternates between Maggie’s homecoming and chapters from House of Horrors. And Sager keeps the tension up and Maggie’s quest to determine what’s fact or fiction isn’t answered until the final pages!

Final Thoughts

Home Before Dark received a 4.17 rating at Goodreads My rating was 4. While I really liked the book I wasn’t blown away by it. At some point I had an inkling of what was happening. With that being said,  the ending did surprise me.  So a really good book but not a really great book! At least in my humble opinion. So Check It Out!

Post Update:

Here are Riley Sager’s Bools

Books I’ve Read

  • Final Girls (2017)
  • The Last Time I Lied (2018) (2021)
  • Lock Every Door (2019)
  • Home Before Dark (2020) (2020)
  • Survive the Night (2021) (2022)
  • The Only One Left (2023) (2024)

Books to Read

  • The House Across the Lake (2022)
  • Middle of the Night (2024
  • With a Vengeance (2025)

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Riley Sager

Website
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Amazon