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Book Review: Skyjack by K.J. Howe

Skyjack by K.J. Howe
Quercus Books, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1681443010
Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

K.J. Howe’s The Freedom Broker was last year’s surprise thriller hit,  the first in a series featuring Thea Paris, a character tough enough to stand toe to toe with Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and F. Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack. With Skyjack, Howe reaches deep into the realms of darkness and emotion that drive suspense and horror, engulfing a story with characters who challenge the limits of genre.

Thea Paris is flying two brothers to a new home after saving them from Boko Haram, where they were forced to serve as child soldiers when the plane is hijacked by the pilot, who has been compromised by the leader of the Sicilian Mafia. A World War II era threat that can end a massive section of mankind rears up, controlled by a secret, generations-old group that mirrors terror groups in the world today. A teen torn by family ties has to fight the darkest parts of humanity.  Paris’ kidnap and rescue team delves into dark territories that combine the thriller aspects with character development rarely found in the genre. How these individuals intertwine, and work both with and against each other, drives this thriller, surpassing the adrenaline rush of the first book.

Highly recommended for fans of good storytelling, especially with high stakes plots and characters who face the abyss throughout, fighting to either hang on or dive within.

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on May 1, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines

Paradox Bound by Peter Clines
Crown, 2017
ISBN-13: 978-0553418330
Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, MP3 CD.

Time travel. Horror. Thriller. Utter weirdness. Peter Clines has it all covered in Paradox Bound. Those who have read The Fold, Cline’s science fiction/horror hit from last year, will be familiar with Cline’s way of introducing grand ideas, wild twists, and memorable characters. Those new to this writer, expect the kitchen sink. His prose is both lean and rich as he tells the story of a young boy who meets a beautiful oddball woman driving a 1920 Model A Ford, searching for the “real” American Dream. This novel could have been a cheesy mess in lesser hands, but Clines weaves genres together tightly, into a frighteningly enjoyable, breathless ride.

Eli Teague meets Harry(Harriet) not once, but twice, in the strange town of Sanders, Maine, where time seems to stand still, and every day is the “good old days” . She rolls up in her Model A with some baddies on her tail. Eli jumps in to try to help but somehow winds up tied to her and making a mess for her to clean up. The faceless men, creatures or humans without faces, are tracking all of the “searchers,” for the physical American Dream(if the readers can suspend disbelief for this, the book will fly by, with plenty of grins and white knuckles), seeking to kill all in their way. These characters are reminiscent of the Gentlemen from the “Hush” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (without the floating part). Harry takes Eli on a cross country trek that also skips through time, for as long as America has been in existence. Think The DaVinci Code on crack, watching National Treasure, edited by horror writers. To say more would give away the many twists and turns of this fun romp. Give Clines a try– he is one of the more exciting writers to pop up in recent memory.

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on April 25, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: True Fiction by Lee Goldberg

True Fiction by Lee Goldberg

Thomas & Mercer, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1503949188

Available: Hardcover, Kindle, audiobook, MP3 CD

 

Lee Goldberg is a skilled screenwriter who has written for hits such as Monk and Diagnosis: Murder, among others. He has written 15 Monk tie-in novels, each filled with the humor that made the show rock; and readers have figured out that Goldberg is one hell of a storyteller. In True Fiction, already a best-selling thriller, Goldberg spins a wild tale about a novelist caught up in a real-life plot that he penned himself. The writing and wit are razor-sharp, and the characters will keep readers laughing throughout.

Ian Ludlow, author of the Clint Straker novels (cheesy thrillers that are included within the text via hilarious snippets), once worked with the CIA to dream up scenarios for the agency to solve in global disasters. When a plane crashes into a Honolulu hotel, he realizes that he wrote about that exact event during a retreat with several of his contemporary thriller writers. He discovers that one by one, the writers who participated are dying off, with Ludlow himself surviving an assassination attempt that led to a broken arm.

While on a book tour, Ian and Margo, his author escort (who also works as a dog walker) find themselves on the run from those truly behind the attacks. Margo serves as a perfect foil for him as they escape together in the most improbable ways from enemies who can see their every move.

True Fiction is a wild, fun ride that doesn’t let up until the final page. Goldberg tells a masterful, fast-paced story with a perfectly balanced mix of humor and action, as the novel straddles the line between the thrilling and absurd. Highly recommended for fans of Goldberg’s shows, great storytelling, or simply a rollicking, good read. This would make a great film and thankfully, is planned to be a series of books.

Posted on March 29, 2018 by , Reply
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