Review: The Elias Network

The Elias Network by Simon Gervais
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caspian and Liesl seem to be falling in love. He's pretty sure he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, but he has some pretty deep secrets about his work. He isn't just the translator at the UN he's told her he is. Liesl, on the other hand, finds Caspian physically and sexually appealing but his bland personality has her wondering if she should break it off. She is an accountant--or at least that is what she said she is. Still, he is off in Switzerland skiing so perhaps she'll run it by her real boss, who had wanted her to maintain their relationship. She needn't decide before his return. What she doesn't know is that Caspian is working black ops for a secret Federal organization and in Switzerland he's on a pretty dangerous assignment. The outcome of which causes Liesl's boss to encourage the affair until he can figure out if Caspian is the notorious Elias!

The ways of spycraft are convoluted. Just try to keep up, especially since some SDRs (Surveillance Detection Routes ) can be over 2 hours long!

View all my reviews

Review: The Boomerang

The Boomerang by Robert Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'll never ride across the dusty plains on the road through Las Lunas from Belen to the Interstate to Gallup without imagining Nestor and his people somewhere in the area probably supervising a meeting with leaders of the Church, the cartels and the Peublo residents. Heaven only knows what new weapons he has or what new deals are going down. But in this book he is helping a former love, her husband and her daughter evade the leaders of the US government who are trying to silence them. Is there a cure for cancer out there? Does the DOD know about it? Is the Government and Big Pharm keeping it secret from the millions of people worldwide struggling with stage 4 of some incurable type? Don't know but this book will sure get you thinking! With the current upheaval in the Health and Human Services Department lately it hits close to home. Bailey's books are always good, this one is terrific and frightening.

View all my reviews

Review: Reasonable Fear

Reasonable Fear by Scott Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Don't Forget A Man's Home Etc

The dead bodies of three young girls found floating in a Tennessee lake, two unbelievably rich and connected men seem to have entertained them the evening before on a now missing large boat. Check alibis, find witnesses, get an indictment, go to trial, case closed! Oh, wait this is Joe Dillard, district attorney. When has anything been that easy for him? Not going to start getting easy now

View all my reviews

Review: Changing Times in Nuala

Changing Times in Nuala by Harriet Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Normally, I give these books a 5 star rating but this only gets a 4 star because the title is a bit misleading. Indeed, the story takes place within days of Ceylon's independence from England but the preparations and activity of the people in the village or the British government reps are barely mentioned. Hopefully, the next book will give more details on the results of the break. At this point, India has been independent for two years and while that is mentioned the chaos and upheaval there is again sort of a side note. I suppose that the basic plots of the books are the cases with which Shanti and his officers become involved. In that regard, the tale does not disappoint. A prominent man is taken ill suddenly and there seems to be no clear cause though his sister is determined to convince everyone that his young wife has poisoned him. It certainly does not look good when that young woman disappears without a trace. The case becomes two-pronged then. What made the man ill and where is his wife? Lots of rumors, lots of red herrings, no clear suspects. In the end, however, the ending brings a bit of a surprise as well as several parades. One the usual pomp and tradition that only British soldiers in bright red uniforms can provide. The other a far more interesting parade of locals, excited at the prospect of getting their country back--dancers, musicians, acrobats and elephants. Archie and Florence are moving our the Residence but staying in Nuala. A new flag is flying and soon Ceylon will revert to Sri Lanka but with what adjustments? Longing to see what changes will come to Shanti and his police force as well.

View all my reviews

Review: The Lies I Tell

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe My Favorite Color isn't Blue !

Wonder how safe those little quizzes your friend send you on FB? Well, meet Meg. The answers are just one of the tools this major con artist uses to work her way into meeting her next mark. And once she's become your " friend " it's open season. Now meet Kat. Thanks to a tip Meg gave her when Kat was a young reporter on the fallout of one of Men's cons, her life as planned was ruined. Kat is determined to destroy Meg . She will have to outcome the con, in a way! Tricky and with a twist totally unexpected but, somehow,satisfying.

View all my reviews