Tag Archives: Thriller

My Review of Silent Sentry by Theresa Rizzo for #RBRT

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silent sentry

I gave Silent Sentry 5* out 0f 5 *

The Blurb:

Dr. Joe Scarfili runs. He’s a runner. It’s how he copes with emotional pain. When his wife was murdered, he ran from violent Detroit to insular Grosse Pointe. He ran from his smothering, caring family to long hours in the operating room. But when he falls for Gianna, another run could cost him everything. Nurse and entrepreneur Gianna Donnatelli is on the verge of making her dreams come true. Her company is poised to go public with a product guaranteed to revolutionize medical care and at the same time help revitalize Detroit, only she’s attacked, stalked, and flattened by an explosion. Then the danger escalates. With Gianna’s life at stake, Joe can’t run. Despite the fact that he has no police or tech experience… Despite the fact that Gianna’s penchant for aiding Detroit’s underprivileged is the same kind of altruism that got his wife killed… Despite the fact that Gianna pushes all his insecurity buttons… This time, Joe will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. And Gianna protects those she loves just as fiercely. Together they’ll fight to save each other and their love… Or die trying.

To say I enjoyed Silent Sentry is an understatement. Normally a slow reader anyway, I savoured each and every aspect of this novel. Theresa Rizzo’s writing style is outstanding; her ability to put together a series of complex plot-lines, populate the story with fascinating characters, place them against such  brilliantly described diverse settings as  run down, inner city Detroit and the rich trappings of  Grosse Point, is exceptional.

The impeccable research is obvious on each and every page: from medical knowledge to comprehensive expertise in the IT field, the intrigues of the Italian and Russian Mafia,  to the machinations of business and families; each layer builds the world her characters live and work in.

And what characters! They leap off the page. Joe and Gianna  are rounded characters, each  with flaws and strengths, honesty and deceits.  Portrayed  with depths  that is revealed in both their spoken and internal dialogue, the reader is shown how they think and why they act as they do. Yet, every now and again I was taken by surprise by the direction that they suddenly move in. And the supporting secondary characters are equally well portrayed, given characteristics, personalities and habits that bring them to life.  There is humour in the description of some (take Aunt Rosie for example), a sinister element in others. But don’t be taken in; sometimes what is written about one or the other of these secondary  characters turns out to be a ploy; what we read is not what we initially understood. And that’s just one aspect of what makes this such a good read.

And just look at that cover! Say no more.

There were only two things that occasionally brought me out of a suspension of disbelief. I’m used to there being double spaces between time-shifts and flashbacks. In the edition I read this novel, there were none. But that might have been down to the  formatting, so I’ll leave that there. The other problem for me, and this is a personal one probably. I do enjoy reading novels that are told by an omniscient narrator such as this is. I really enjoy those where chapters are devoted just to one character’s point of view. Those are my favourite. But I also read and enjoy a roving omniscient narrator, if it’s consistent throughout the story. In Silent Sentry however, the bulk of particular chapters is following one ( or even two) perspective when , all at once, another character’s short viewpoint pops in. As I say, this is a purely personal preference- but it did distract me.

For me Silent Sentry  crosses different genres: crime, thriller, mystery, romance. And it works perfectly. This is one book I would thoroughly recommend.

I reviewed this book as part of Rosie Amber’s Review Team: #RBRT

Links:

Amazon. co.uk

http://amzn.to/1RMbuTs

Amazon.com:

http://amzn.to/1oNsr4q

My Review of Best Seller: A Tale Of Three Writers by Terry Tyler

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Best Seller: A Tale Of Three Writers

 

I gave Best Seller: A Tale Of Three Writers 5*out of 5

The Blurb:

Three women, one dream: to become a successful author.

Eden Taylor has made it—big time. A twenty-three year old with model girl looks and a book deal with a major publisher, she’s outselling the established names in her field and is fast becoming the darling of the media.

Becky Hunter has money problems. Can she earn enough from her light-hearted romance novels to counteract boyfriend Alex’s extravagant spending habits, before their rocky world collapses?

Hard up factory worker Jan Chilver sees writing as an escape from her troubled, lonely life. She is offered a lifeline—but fails to read the small print…

In the competitive world of publishing, success can be merely a matter of who you know—and how ruthless you are prepared to be to get to the top.

BEST SELLER is a novella of 40k words (roughly half as long as an average length novel), a slightly dark, slightly edgy drama with a twist or three in the tale.

 

One of the most outstanding features of any of Terry Tyler’s book is her ability to create rounded characters that come alive the first time they open their mouths.

Best Seller, a Tale of Three Writers, is no exception.  And the reader is also allowed to observe the inner dialogue, the immediate and complex emotions of these young women, Jan, Eden and Becky, so we are drawn right away into this novella.

There is a consistent and steady rise of tension through the twists and turns of the various strands of the plot. Each character is striving to attain recognition in different ways and with varying success.

 Not one to give spoilers all I will add is that this is a clever and knowledgeable insight to the publishing world. And,as usual, Terry Tyler’s writing style is reflective, skilful and absorbing.

 This is a short read that leaves the reader wanting to know more and I thoroughly recommend Best Seller.

 Oh, and by the way, the end will make your jaw drop.

 

Buying Links here:

Amazon.UK: http://amzn.to/1pKn1IH

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1Rk6lBY

My Review of On Lucky Shores by Kerry J Donovan #RBRT

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 I gave On Lucky Shores by Kerry J Donovan 4* out of 5*

The Book Blurb:

In an action-packed tale of secrets and lies in small town America, Chet Walker is a man forced to make decisions that will affect his future and the life of the woman he loves.

Witness to a car crash and in receipt of a cryptic message from a dying man, traveling musician, Chet Walker, reaches the picturesque lakeside town of Lucky Shores. He faces hostility and suspicion from the locals and learns that the information he carries could unlock an eight-year-old mystery—it could also get him killed.
Josephine Dolan, owner of the Lucky Shores diner, wants to bury her past. When Walker arrives with a message from her father, she doesn’t want to hear it. She cuts him cold.
When his life is threatened, Chet Walker learns the truth behind the saying, “no good deed goes unpunished.”

And what Advance Review Copy readers say:

“…great humour throughout and the romance was handled really well … the plot resolution was fantastic…” Ashley Capes author of The Bone Mask Trilogy.
“…more twists and turns than an Agatha Christie whodunit, and more surprises than a box of Cracker Jacks. Lee Child will blanch with envy,” Deforest Day, author of A Cold Killing.
“…keeps you up at night, turning the page, wanting to know what happens next. A nice mix of scenery, relationships and action, with plenty of mysterious twists and turns, keeps the pace of the story moving.” Suzanne Pherigo, ARC reviewer.
“…action-packed adventure I greatly enjoyed … superb …” Sophie Bristow Harris, host of ‘Kindle Suggestions’

The above reviews say it all really. But here are my thoughts.

Kerry Donovan’s writing style is admirable; his method of telling a story is easy to read but gives a depth to a plot that keeps the reader interested.

The book is set in a small town called Lucky Shores in the Colorado Rockies, a town struggling in poverty.  But rich in disparate characters.

 I loved the protagonist Chet Walker, a musician travelling around the country, looking for gigs to perform in wherever he can find them. The author has created a many-sided character with a mysterious background that if deftly revealed as the story progresses. And Joey (Josephine) Dolan is a perfect foil for him; yet another rounded character. In fact there isn’t one character in the book, whether I liked them or not, that I didn’t believe in.

The dialogue differentiates all these characters, it’s easy to work out who is speaking without the attributions and although the author uses American euphemisms, syntax and slang it was easy for me to read; in fact it would have been wrong not to stay true to the setting of the book.

And the descriptions of the settings are evocative and full of imagery. All create a picture for the action.

I don’t easily follow fight scenes; they’re as difficult for me to envisage as they seem to be awkward to write for many authors. But Kerry Donovan makes them both visible and (dare I say?) funny. The descriptions of the protagonist’s use of martial arts are brilliantly depicted

The pace of the plot moves steadily but with many surprising twists and turns, building the tension as the story reaches the denouement. Yet is this the end of Chet Walker? Somehow I think not.

This is a thrilling mixture of adventure, crime, mystery, romance; a real cross genre of a book. I enjoyed the read and don’t hesitate to recommend i

 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review  as a  member of Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT

Buying links here:

Amazon.co.uk:

http://amzn.to/1KxxPmK

Amazon.com:

http://bit.ly/214uByg