Pros: Decent detective story Cons: A lot of unlikable characters Rating: 3 out of 5 James Patterson and Candice Fox are the authors of Black & Blue (BookShots). The “BookShots” indicator means this is a novella, a short book meant…
Blog Archives
Short Take: “Black and Blue,” James Patterson, Candice Fox
Posted in Reviews Tagged with: Bookshots, Candice Fox, crime drama, James Patterson, novella, thriller
Short Take: “Cross Kill,” James Patterson
Pros: I do like crime dramas Cons: But maybe not this one Rating: 2 out of 5 James Patterson’s Cross Kill: An Alex Cross Story (BookShots) has Alex Cross and his partner, John, helping with a before-school meals program; they’re…
Posted in Reviews Tagged with: Alex Cross, BookShot, crime drama, James Patterson, novella, thriller
Short Take: “Come and Get Us,” James Patterson and Shan Serafin
Pros: LOVE the main character’s narrative voice Cons: … Rating: 5 out of 5 “Bookshot.” What a great name for a type of book short enough to be downed in one quick shot, just like whiskey (especially in a season…
Review: “Right to Kill,” Andrew Peterson
Pros: More action than any five other books Cons: Anything non-action tends to be not-good Rating: 3 out of 5 Right to Kill, by Andrew Peterson, is part of his Nathan McBride Series. We’re dealing with ex-soldiers returned from overseas…
Review: “Screams in the Woods,” Michael R. Martin
Pros: Perfect for readers who want lots of expository puzzling-out Cons: Long with lots of exposition Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Michael R. Martin’s Screams in the Woods is one of a certain kind of books: there’s a dark mystery…
Posted in Reviews Tagged with: horror, Michael R. Martin, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction, SF, suspense, thriller
Review: “IQ,” Joe Ide
Pros: Fascinatingly bizarre characters Cons: Messy time jumps Rating: 4 out of 5 As we join the characters of Joe Ide’s IQ, an obviously eeeeevil man tries to kidnap a little girl. IQ (Isaiah Quintabe), using his quick thinking and…
Review: “Blonde Ice,” R.G. Belsky
Pros: Great characterizations Cons: One spot that confused me Rating: 4 out of 5 R.G. Belsky’s Blonde Ice: A Gil Malloy Novel follows (obviously) Gil Malloy, a hot-shot journalist who likes jumping into the middle of trouble. A woman named…
Short Take: “Come Twilight”, Tyler Dilts
Pros: Interesting mysteries Cons: Some confusions; hard to like some of the characters Rating: 3.5 out of 5 In Tyler Dilts’ Come Twilight (Long Beach Homicide book 4), homicide detective Danny Beckett is having a really bad day. He catches…
Review: “Labyrinth Lost,” Zoraida Cordova
Pros: Fascinating Cons: Powers become generic Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas), by Zoraida Cordova, is billed as a young adult book (not surprising, given the themes of finding oneself and growing into our power), but it’s…
Review: “Apprentice in Death,” J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts
Pros: Enjoyable story and characters; thank heavens that Eve and Roarke are not mixed up in this one. Cons: Nothing terribly new Rating: 3.5 out of 5 In J.D. Robb’s Apprentice in Death, New York is in a panic. There’s…
Posted in Reviews Tagged with: Eve Dallas, in death, J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts, Roarke, scifi, SF, thriller