Tuesday Book Review

Four-star review of Rogue Touch by Christine Woodward

 One part fanfiction about a backstory for a DC superhero, one part sci-fi adventure and one part romance, this story about how Rogue got her name and her on-the-run experiences with the otherworldly James/Touch was a fun read. Anna Marie already knew how lethal her touch could before she was called Rogue and dressed to prevent accidentally harming anyone, but still she did and took off from Jackson, Mississippi with a recent acquaintance James, who was running from those who would take him back to the world he’d come from. Some of the supposed surprises were obvious ahead of time, but that didn’t keep me from rooting for them.  

Tuesday Book Review

 

Five star review of The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz

 I didn’t enjoy this as much as By the Light of the Moon, but it did have a great beginning and end. I guess there was too much horror for my taste. After the traumatic loss of her family, Katie secludes herself on a small island. Unfortunately, it’s too close to another island where government scientists are doing genetic experiments. Eventually Katie teams up with a teen who lives on still another island where she’s neglected by her parents, scientists involved in the genetic testing. They are joined by a somewhat sentient fox. To say more would give away the main plot. Parts were quite gripping, other parts weren't as plausible, especially some aspects of the end, but it was satisfying enough. 

 

Tuesday Book Review on Wednesday

 Four-star review for Nothing Gold Can Stay by Dana Stabenow

 

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed Stabenow’s books with huge doses of life in Alaska. This was a well-written story about Liam Campbell’s hunt for a serial killer with many subplots, including one about Wyanet’s adopted son Tim. Perhaps because of the unnecessary side issues, such as Wy’s visitors and her air transport rival Finn, which don’t go far, the story lagged at times, but others, e.g., about Bill and Moses, were entertaining. At others, the tension was high, especially the flights in a storm. A bit less head hopping would have tightened the book.

Tuesday Book Review

 

Four-star review of The Crossing (Detective Louise Blackwell Book 1) by Matt Brolly

 Although the reader knows rather early on who the murderer is, learning his motivation and the complications in Louise’s life that interfere with her investigation kept the tension high throughout. It starts with the discovery of a body on the beach of Weston-super-Mare on the southwestern coast of England. Louise was reassigned to the area from a position with the CID due to a previous case where she and her partner disagreed about what happened. This is the first in a series. I’m sure Louise will get over her resentment over her reassignment. 

Tuesday Book Review

 

Five-star review of Cosega Storm (The Cosega Sequence Book 2) by Brandt Legg

 Another page-turner in this series. Rip, Gale and their many pursuers are still in the southwest part of the country I know so it was easy to follow their travels. Rip isn’t sure who he can trust. Government agencies, private individuals and even the Catholic Church want the Eysen, his archeological find, but he still hasn’t had time to find all of its secrets. Like the first book, this is told from a number of characters’ points of view, so we know what each group plans, but that doesn’t keep the novel from being exciting, full of twists and surprises. Like the first book in the series, this one ends with a cliffhanger of sorts and so I will soon start the third book in the series.

Tuesday Book Review

 

Five-star review of By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz

 Have I said before I love the literary way Koontz writes paranormal thrillers? I’m not even sure he’d say that’s what they are but to me they’re perfect. I loved this older one about an artist, Dylan, who’s guardian to his much younger autistic brother Shep and a female stand-up comedian, Jilly. On the same summer night they’re each grabbed at a motel in Arizona by a man who ties them up and then injects them with ‘stuff’ that will either kill them or do something to rewire their brains. With her Cadillac torched by men after the mad scientist, Jilly joins Dylan and his brother in a race to escape the folks in the black suburbans who are after what’s been injected into them. None of them know how the injections will affect them, each differently. These strangers grow closer as the action intensifies and they learn new ways to use their new abilities to do what has to be done. And that’s as it should be.  

Tuesday Book Review

Five-star review for Cosega Search by Brandt Legg

 This is my kind of story, despite the otherworldly, spiritualist aspect. Rip Gaines, a well-known and respected archeologist finds an artefact on a dig that seems to be what he’s spent his life looking for. Suddenly, an assortment of groups ranging from the FBI to the Vatican come after him to either possess the find or hide it because of it’s significance. Caught up with him is National Geographic reporter Gale Asher. I wasn’t too pleased that a number of people are killed along the way but that makes the remaining people loyal to Rip more important. Rip and Gale are pursued all the way from Virginia to Taos, New Mexico. It might be because I know the area fairly well, but the scenes at this part of the story were the clearest to me. This is the first in a long series and I’ve already begun to read the second one. I’ve read books by Legg before and always found them fast paced and engaging.