The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

I'm sure it's no secret to those of you who know me that I am a consumate Janet Evanovich fan.  Her Stephanie Plum series is by far one of the funniest I have ever read.  In this second book of her new series, Ms. Evanovich joins forces with author Lee Goldberg (of the Monk series fame).

Although this series focuses on Special Agent Kate O'Hare, the author has not lost her touch at creating funny scenes in the midst of some hair-raising escapades.  In this book Kate joins up with con artist Nicholas Fox to play hide and seek with a famous Chinese artifact.  The duo travels all over the world with stops in Montreal and Shanghai to name but a few.

A fast-paced book, reminiscent of Patterson, the story is very believable although some of the situations they manage to pull off seem just a tad unrealistic.  Still and all, if you like the writing of each of these authors, you'll thoroughly enjoy their partnership.

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Blue Warrior by Mike Maden

Another new author to me, Dr Maden has written an exciting and informative thriller that will motivate you to read on to the end.  You may find that you have to really focus while reading this entry because the author uses several different techniques to tell the story.

The story starts out in the year 2015 and then jumps back to 2003.  Then, 2009 and back again to 2015.  In addition, the author includes several different settings in the book and jumps back and forth from chapter to chapter.  The settings include but are not limited to Algeria, Portugal, Mali, Maryland,  Wyoming and Michigan.  Ordinarily, this technique unnerves me but thanks to the author's writing style I was able to stay with it.

The main character, Troy Pearce is a carry-over from Dr, Maden's first book entitled Drone.  Not having read it did not preclude me from getting the gist of who Pearce was and what his intentions were.

The plot of the story centers around mining operations in Mali which have drawn the attention of several countries around the world, as well as some unsavory organizations.  In addition, some of Pearce's friends have gotten themselves into a predicament.  Troy must find a way to rescue his friends and save the rebellion.

The author includes a comprehensive list of acronyms in the back of the book which were very helpful toward understanding what was going on.  Of course, drone and other technology take center stage in the story.

I found this book to be very entertaining and interesting.  I'll probably go back and read the first book in the series and I look forward to reading the next one.

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Outline by Rachel Cusk

This is a new author to me. Although fairly prolific and the winner of  the Whitbred First Novel award, I have not come across any of her works before.

This title is actually a collection of ten conversations.  I have to admit I read just five of the conversations.  If I were actually engaged in these conversations, I would probably excuse myself and bow out.

To be fair, the author's writing is impeccable.  Her descriptions of the people in the conversations are well developed and I could easily picture each person.  Perhaps it was the nature of the exchanges that diminished my interest.

In any event, I chose not to finish the book at this time.  There is always the chance that I will pick it up again at a later date and say to myself--this sounds familiar.  For now--it goes back on the shelf.

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Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

I have been remiss in reviewing this title.  It's been several years since it was first published.  Better late than never.....

This was a very difficult read from the standpoint of the descriptions the author used to tell the story. The scenarios were essential to this body of work and made it a story this reviewer will never forget and I imagine few others will.

This is the story of an Olympic track star who becomes a pilot during WWII.  His plane crashes and he is adrift on the ocean with two other survivors of the crash.  Subsequently, he is imprisoned by the Japanese and subjected to reprehensible treatment at their hands.  Eventually he returns home but not without the scars of war.

The fact that Louis Zamperini could withstand the cruel conditions and torture he sustained during the war is a testament to the power of the human spirit.  He is also representative of the countless others who faced similar circumstances but did not receive the acclaim attributed to Mr. Zamperini.

This book should serve as a starting point for young people who study historical events that have led to what America is today.  As a young person I was not aware of any of the inhuman treatment that our soldierss faced in WWII. Perhaps if history was studied by addressing current events and backtracked from there, our young people would have a better understanding of the sacrifices others have made for their freedom and give them a more thankful perspective.

This story has quite a bit to convey.  It took me several sittings to read, primarily because I wanted to understand the feelings of a remarkable man and how he managed to move forward in his life, in spite of what happened to him.

In praying for peace, let us also hope and pray that current and future prisoners of war will not have to endure unspeakable torture.  I suspect that if man were kinder to his fellow man, we would have
lasting peace throughout our world and war would no longer be.

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Saving Grace by Jane Green

Afairly prolific author with fifteen titles to her credit, this latest entry was one of her best.

Grace, an accomplished cookbook editor, meets her husband to be at a literary conference.  She has been married for twenty years when the story opens.  From outward appearances onlookers see an accomplished elegant women who throws lavish fundraising dinners and whose husband is a good looking successful writer.

Appearances can be deceiving and in this instance Ted (husband of Grace) has a temper to beat the band and unleashes it at his will on Grace.  The abuse conditions Grace to the point that she is afraid to tell anyone what has been happening and makes every effort to make people think that all is well.

Grace and Ted lead busy lives and have employed the help of an assistant for Ted, who doubles as a housekeeper for Grace.  Ellen is a gem and manages to deal with Ted's outbursts with little to no ripples.  Unfortunately Ellen has to leave the position after many years due to family constraints. Grace tries to do it all for a while but it is quickly becoming overwhelming for her.

Enter Beth, who seems to be the perfect fit.  Beth takes over both roles efficiently.  After a while Grace begins to harbor suspicous thoughts about the newcomer. As time goes by Grace's life takes a spiraling downturn and Grace begins to feel as if she is no longer in control of anything.

When Grace hits rockbottom, she decides to return to her home country, England, where she has hope that she will recover from this gruling experience.

A well-written story with great attention to character development, you may find yourself wanting to read the entire book in one sitting.  The plot motivates the reader to want to discover what happens and to hope that everything will turn out alright.  My only disappointment was the epilogue.  You may feel differently.  Read it and decide for yourself.

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Full Force and Effect by Mark Greaney

This was probably the longest novel I've read in quite a while.  It clocked in at 674 pages.  To begin with it was worth it.  The author took much needed time to go into detail in regard to the storyline.

When we lost Tom Clancy in 2013, we lost one of my favorite authors.  He was a  force to be reckoned with.  His stories captivated my interest and always motivated me to read more.  From The Hunt for Red October  to Support and Defend,  there is not one story that fell short of conveying contemporary issues.  His character development was broad and he made his characters believable and intense.  I think that Mark Greaney has done a fine job picking up the torch and running with it.

This latest entry, published in 2014 re-introduces us to President Jack Ryan and his son Jack who works for a covert operation known as The Campus.  As the story opens, a CIA officer is murdered in Ho Chi Minh City and a package of forged papers goes missing.  This story focuses on the nation of North Korea and a web of subterfuge which connects other nations.  It also includes a carefully planned intent to assasinate the President of the United States.

As I have continued to read action-packed novels over the past decade, I must admit that the stories are becoming frighteningly realistic.  They continue to draw readers into the story effectively and no longer seem implausible.  It makes for good reading and also causes the reader to become more aware of what is happening in the world around them.

Keep up the great writing Mr. Greaney.

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Black Horizon by James Grippando

The author has brought back the tried and true character of Jack Swyteck in this latest entry.

Jack, a lawyer, is newly married to Andie, a CIA operative and they are honeymooning when Andie is asked to report for an undercover assignment.

A major oil spill has occurred off the coast of Cuba and Jack becomes entwined in the mystery of determining what happened.  He is approached by the widow of someone who has been killed on the oil rig that exploded.  It is her intention to sue the oil company and Jack is gung ho on doing just that..

Jack, along with his assistant Theo, embark on a trip to Cuba in an attempt to uncover what is behind the prosecutions' contention that Jack's client was never legally married to the man who died in the explosion which could end the lawsuit.  They meet up with an aspiring female boxer who adds yet another level to this convoluted tale.

Toward the end of this story, Jack's case and Andie's assignment cross paths and the reader begins to see where it is all leading.

As an avid reader of Mr. Grippando's books, I would say that this entry was a bit slow for me.  I am used to being on the edge of my seat and wanting to finish the book in one sitting.  This story took much longer than usual and I'm not sure that was a good thing.

Suffice to say like many authors, one cannot hit a home run with every swing.  However, I fully intend to read this author's next entry.

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What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Happy New Year!  Start the year off right with this entry by Liane Moriarty.

I have read another of this author's books entitled The Husband's Secret and I liked it.  We discussed it in our book group and it was just the leverage we needed to get a good discussion going.

Alice is a 40 year-old mother of three on the verge of divorce.  While at a spin class she falls off a bike and hits her head.  She loses consciousness and when she awakes she thinks she is a newlywed and pregnant with her first child.  She  doesn't realize it but she has lost ten years of her life.

Alice has to get a grip on what is really happening in her life and tries to understand all of her relationships, even though she is not sure of where she stands in any of them.

The reader is treated to letters that Elizabeth (Alice's sister) writes to her therapist.  The letters give us a glimpse of Elizabeth's relationship with Alice and an overall view of Alice's life.

This novel is funny, scary and poignant-- all at the same time.  It offers a gentle respite away from the intense espionage and crime thrillers that dominate the book field.

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