Chaotic Ninja

When you find yourself as tense and as fearful for your life as the characters in the book, then you know the author succeeded in bringing you into her world. Welcome to Deep Down Dead , where you chase after the bad guys who are also chasing after you. Well, of course, when I say “you” I mean Lori Anderson, the headstrong bounty hunter who has one seemingly simple job of finding a fugitive for a massive payday. Nothing to it, yeah? After all, that’s her job.  But nothing is simple when it’s your bounty hunting mentor’s ass you’re hauling back to court. With a sick daughter in tow, the risk multiplies faster than you can flip the pages. When you get to the last 30% of the book, it gets harder and harder to breathe. Add child exploitation ring and the Miami mob into the mix and you may never breathe again. There’s a bit of an issue with the believability of a couple of scenes, but nothing so big that it diminishes the overall impact of the story.   ...

See How They Run by Tom Bale   is what happens when regular folks get mixed up with a network of criminals so vicious, they wouldn’t think twice of committing a violent act if it suits their needs (or save their necks). Who would want to be in this kind of predicament? No one! But Harry and Alice French find themselves in such a sticky situation and they take the reader along with them. Just imagine the stress and exhaustion of being thrown into a bloody mess. Oh, by the way, there’s a baby tagging along. Crazy, huh? Though Harry and Alice are characters you’d easily empathise with, it’s the wicked bad guys that shine through. They are all convincingly evil! They are the kind of people you pray you don’t cross paths with in your lifetime. Although this a gripping story with non-stop action (physical and emotional), I feel that the writer held back on the resolution. It went to “safe” territory after treating the reader to one shocking event t...

Third book in the series. Tough to review but e arly reviewers have already raved about it here , here , here , and here .  Not that you need more convincing, but instead of a review, I'm giving you my Top 10 reasons why you should read "The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows " by Marnie Riches . 1.    Confident writing. So confident it can be brutal. You know, the in-your-face kind of brutal that leaves a black eye in the morning. Get some ice. 2.    Bursting at the seams with fascinating and flawed characters:  from the morally ambiguous to the sordidly immoral to the sexually fluid to the emotionally crippled. (The author could be talking about my family, but I digress.) 3.    Unrelenting suspense. So tense that you might find your heart fibrillating. Okay, that may be a tad too much, but it can happen, yes? 4.    Reading it is like assembling the most difficult jigsaw puzzle while playing “Where’s Wally”. (And ...

To Catch A Rabbit   by Helen Cadbury Sean Denton, a dyslexic Community Support Officer is the unlikely hero of this crawling thriller by author Helen Cadbury. He gets his first “case” involving a young woman found dead on his patch. He’s drawn to the case, but given the “handicap” of not being a proper policeman, he does not get the respect of his colleagues. And just like the victim, whose death is immediately written off as a suicide, Sean’s views on the case are easily dismissed. Tough. But the story does not revolve around just one case. Oh no! It gets complicated when seemingly random events become intricately linked. New characters emerge and personal and professional turmoil ensue. It gets a little muddled when all the other characters compete for the reader’s attention. It momentarily shifts the focus away from Sean just as he’s getting more interesting. Perhaps it’s part of the character progression and just a case of not wanting to give everything...

CRIME FICTION dominated my 2015 reading list that I swear I could see blood dripping from my reading device. I read fewer books in 2015, but 5 of them were books that blew me away, gave me tremendous enjoyment, and entertained me to the hilt.   Here they are: The authors of these 5 books have masterfully depicted mystery, intrigue, and suspense in equal measure that they've created incredible stories that trigger an emotional response either because of what a character did or a situation that pushed the character over the edge. As a reader, this just fires me up. UNTOUCHABLE  by Ava Marsh is an extremely addictive read. It's sexually charged and provocative with a remarkable protagonist in Stella/Grace. It's a story that transports the reader to the dangerous world of high-end escort service. We become privy to the unspoken rules and to the dirty little secrets of powerful men and the women who are embroiled in the fatal game of sex, lies,...

THE BETRAYAL by Linda Tweedie The Coyles and The McClellands – two feuding families intoxicated by power and fueled by revenge. The hatred for each other have sparked bloody encounters that leave a trail of dead bodies, injured relatives, missing family members, and an incarcerated scion. Though the Coyles appear to have a united front, the dysfunctional family dynamics tell otherwise. It’s reminiscent of The Sopranos and The Corleones , but a little less charming and more muscle and grit. The McClellands, on the other hand, may appear to be the weaker of the two, but they are much more cunning and devious, setting the wheels of revenge in motion like clockwork. The Betrayal is a compelling read, especially if you’re into crime family saga where characters have combustible personalities. The overlapping story arcs make for a fascinating read. There’s always the thrill of not knowing full well where the story is heading, then everything ties up nicely (and co...

DEAD EYED by Matt Brolly A serial killer from the past appears to have resurfaced after an 18-year hiatus. Such premise presents questions upon questions that even DCI Michael Lambert could not answer. If this guy was a weapon, he’d be a standard issue. Nothing special; just your ordinary detective chief inspector preoccupied by painful memories of his daughter’s death. And trying desperately to keep it together. But when the case unravels bit by bit, so does Lambert. And this is where the story pulls you in. In oculis animus habitat . The trademark engraving that the “Souljacker” leaves on the victims’ chests tells of a gruesome yet skilful killing. It’s so horrific, it’s not human. This is a cleverly plotted crime thriller with storytelling flair that makes you feel a bit of involvement in the investigation. Did the Souljacker re-emerge or there’s a copycat on the loose?  Will the real Souljacker please stand up? It triggers speculations and guesses...