A Book A Week

Charlotte Kramer is making history. As the first female President of the United States, she faces even greater scrutiny than her predecessors. Working closely with her Secretary of Defense, Charlotte has made great strides in the Middle East. After years of violence and political turmoil, the region prepares to hold its first truly democratic election. Charlotte is proud of the amount of good she has accomplished in her three years on the job, but she knows that she needs to do more to secure a second term. Despite all of her progress abroad, things are not as positive back at home. Under her leadership, the economy is failing to recover in the way she promised it would. Bitter partisan politics have hindered any policy discussions.  Worse, a less than ideal showing at the midterm elections has left a congress that is waiting for any opportunity to end her career. With little time to reframe her reputation, Charlotte turns to her family, friends, and political advisors to take a final shot at retaining her spot in the White House.

Melanie Kingston is a fixture of Washington politics. Fifteen years ago, she lied about being a student to gain an internship at the White House. Ever since then, she has worked her way up the ladder, serving as campaign manager and press secretary for the previous administration. Now, as the White House chief of staff,  she is one of Charlotte Kramer's most trusted advisors. Every aspect of Charlotte's administration, from policy decisions and speeches to wardrobe, runs through Melanie. But this loyalty has taken a toll on her personal life. She is the most respected woman in Washington, besides the President of course, but with one failed marriage and no children, she has little personal fulfillment. When a local reporter contacts Melanie about a story of infidelity in the President's marriage, she kicks it into high gear. A story like this doesn't stay out of the spotlight for long. If news of a Presidential affair surfaces, it threatens to not only derail the President's reelection campaign, but to completely tarnish Melanie's lifetime of work.

Dale Smith is the new kid on the block. Young, smart, beautiful, in love, she seems to have it all. Dale is the White House correspondent, weekend anchor, and a shoe in for future nightly anchor at one of the national networks. Despite her clear success, Dale is still finding her way in the town where seniority reigns supreme. To prove herself and cement her place among the best journalists in the nation, she must gain access to the hard hitting interviews and breaking news stories that garner ratings and prestige. Lucky for her, she has a secret weapon. During her short time in Washington, Dale has gained the trust and heart of one of the people closest to President Charlotte Kramer. . . her husband.

Eighteen Acres is a stellar novel that mixes political and personal drama into a page turning, edge of your seat read. Author Nicolle Wallace uses her firsthand political knowledge to bring the behind the scenes aspects of the political game front and center. Her experience at the White House allows for each page to ring with authenticity. Political aptitude aside, this is a fascinating character study that stands on its own merits. It is great to read a book about three smart and beautiful women that focusses on their struggle to maintain their personal lives amidst the demands of their high profile careers. Wallace dives headfirst into questions about the double standards of women in the workplace while never becoming preachy. The political intrigue combines with the equally well developed characters to form the perfect mix in this smart, timely, and entertaining novel.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2015, 11)

In the early 90's a group of high ranking officials from the Russian and American governments came together to form a highly classified initiative that could potentially lead to the death of millions of people. To ensure the security of the agreement, all involved parties sign a document that allows an international assassin to be ordered to eliminate anyone who leaks the information.

Fast forward to the present day, and the information has been stolen. With the threat of the horrific details of the plan being revealed, various entities begin to search for the documents, and the person who they believe could be responsible. Will Cochrane, an MI6 operative leads a team, in cooperation with the CIA, to attempt to find the man responsible for the missing papers. But the mission soon becomes far more personal. Someone has discovered Will's true identity, and threatens to release the information and to harm his sister, the only person on the earth who he truly cares about. The story quickly becomes an international tale of intrigue in which Will grapples with the implications of the released documents, faces the highly dangerous assassin, and attempts to discover the person or people who threaten to blow his cover.

The complexity of this novel makes it quite difficult to explain the plot without spoiling the twists and details that make it so compelling. Author Matthew Dunn is a former MI6 operative himself, so he brings a unique understanding of the inner workings of the secretive organizations that are explored in this book. This is the third novel to feature Will Cochrane, but the story itself stands alone as a completely realized narrative. It took me a bit of time to acclimate myself to all of the military jargon used throughout the novel, but the plot is intriguing enough that I was quickly able to work through it.

The character of Will Cochrane could have easily been a cold, one-dimensional man, especially given the secretive nature of his work. Where Dunn really excels is in extracting the emotions of this man who has essentially been trained to show none. It was fascinating to read about Will's internal battle of dealing with his inner feelings while never letting them betray the complex mission at hand. Overall, this is a fast paced, complex, international conspiracy novel that easily sets itself as a top example of the genre. Dunn is able to successfully combine his own personal experience as an MI6 operative with the conventions of modern thriller novels to create a unique and nearly flawless book.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

Daniel Hunter is no stranger to lost causes. In fact, there was a time, not too long ago, when he himself was seen as a lost cause. His mother was a junkie, so he spent most of his childhood dependent upon the state to place him in proper care. He always felt a constant need to look after his mother, even sacrificing his own needs for her benefit.

Someone is killing Vietnam War Veterans. Each time, the deceased man is left at a veteran's memorial with a lemon in his mouth. After two of these murders, it is clear to Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigator, Lucas Davenport, that there is a connection. Unable to devote his own skills, (Davenport is featured in Sandford's "Prey" series), he calls in the only man who can clean up the mess. It is time to call in the man he hired to solve "the hard stuff".

Enter Virgil Flowers, the thirty something detective, whose quirky, off the cuff reputation is as well known as his ability to solve the cases that no one else can. To say Flowers doesn't fit the standard law enforcement mold would be an understatement. He keeps is blond hair at shoulder length, wears rock band t-shirts and cowboy boots, occasionally writes for national outdoors magazines, and keeps in contact with various women and ex-wives, all of whom he has fallen in love with. Despite all of this apparent baggage, Flowers gets the job done, and he does it well. As he begins investigating the deaths of the veterans, he realizes that they are being killed professionally, as if they are each being checked off of a list. When he discovers the connections, he is immersed in a global conspiracy dating back to the time of the war.

There is no denying Sandford's ability to create riveting mysteries with relatable characters. He writes with an urgency that keeps the plot moving, never allowing the suspense to ease. As I read, I continued to be sucked deeper into the mystery as each twist and turn was unveiled. Virgil Flowers has a charismatic everyman charm that forced me to root for him. It has been almost a year since I read the first Virgil Flowers novel, and I forgot how much I enjoyed the world that Sandford has provided. There is a kind of timelessness to the story that will surely appeal to any mystery fans. With two solid novels, this series is quickly becoming my new favorite!

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013: week 5, book 5)

Last year, I stumbled upon the Matt Royal series by author H. Terrell Griffin. The novels follow Matt Royal, a middle-aged lawyer who, fed up with the state of the legal system, retired to the small island of Longboat Key, Florida. But small town life didn't stop Royal from finding excitement. Over the course of six novels, Matt found himself directly involved in conspiracies that rocked his hometown. Through his friendship with Bill Lester, Longboat Key's chief of police, and with the help of his drinking buddy Logan, and his friend Jock, who conveniently works for a top secret, high ranking government agency, Matt became a kind of extension of the local law enforcement.

Things seemed to change when J.D. Duncan, a female detective from Miami, joined the Longboat Key force. Her addition, and insistent moral code, caused Matt to not only re-evaluate his actions, but to discover emotions he thought he would never feel again.

In Fatal Decree, the latest novel to feature Royal, we find the characters facing the biggest mystery they have ever faced. When the body of a local woman is discovered floating in the bay, Matt is immediately called by J.D.  It turns out, the body has a whale tail earring in her ear, and the initials KKK carved into the back of her neck. Even more terrifying, this is the signature of of a serial killer from Miami who J.D. investigated, and who hasn't been active for years. Now Matt must help solve the case before more islanders or killed. He hates to imagine the worst, but he is scared that the killer may target J.D. next.

I was completely invested in this series the moment I began reading. Unlike other series authors, Griffin has managed to maintain his standards of both quality and content. Seven books in, he still manages to explore unique cases and take his characters into different emotional territory. It was really nice to see Matt and J.D.'s budding relationship come to a head, especially because it didn't play out in the predictable way I feared it was going to. Griffin love of Florida and the people who inhabit it is made obvious by his detailed descriptions of settings and the inclusion of small town characters that give the sometimes outlandish story a much needed dose of reality. With Fatal Decree, Griffin proves that he is very much at the top of his game. Any fan of fast paced and original mysteries is sure to enjoy this novel.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(2013:week 4, book 4)

I have always been fascinated with any and all things to do with World War II. From the rise of Hitler, to the bombing of Hiroshima, this is perhaps the richest time in the history of the world. Due to the staggering scale of this time period, most books, both fiction and nonfiction, choose to focus on specific events or characters. In this hugely ambitious work, Antony Beevor attempts to provide a narrative overview of the entire war.

Like many other deceased authors, Michael Crichton and Sydney Sheldon immediately come to mind, author Andrew Britton's untimely death in 2008 has not halted the production of new novels under his name. Of course, this opens the whole debate about ghost writers and unreleased manuscripts that are passed off as new material from bestselling authors. Despite my growing dislike of this practice, the book jacket summary seemed promising enough that I decided to give The Operative a read.

After years as a counter terrorism operative, Ryan Kealey is finally adjusting to a more peaceful lifestyle. This newfound peace is quickly shattered when Kealey finds himself smack in the middle of a large-scale terror attack at a charity gala. With many deaths and injuries, the CIA fears that some of their units may be compromised. Now Kealey is the only man who is both trusted by the US Government and capable to discover the truth behind the attack. As he delves into the depts of the conspiracy, he discovers unimaginable secrets that could shatter the stability of the entire country.

There is nothing horribly wrong with this novel. The writing is serviceable, the characters do what they are intended to do, and the story comes to a solid, if a bit predictable, conclusion. To my taste, however, the pacing and structure of the story is too disjointed. The opening and build up to the main action takes entirely too much time. When Kealey is finally allowed to begin his investigation, the part that should be the most interesting, he blazes through to the conclusion without the intelligence and suspense that modern thriller readers have come to expect. Overall, the novel was a fine diversion, but ultimately not worth the time.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and GoodReads.

(week 50, book 45)

First time mothers are supposed to spend the nine months before birth in a blissful state of anticipatory preparation. With only a few weeks before the arrival of her newborn, Amanda is feeling anything but bliss. After discovering her husband's infertility, Amanda undergoes the grueling process of in vitro fertilization. A couple miscarriages later, she finally carries a healthy child. Despite all of this, she and her husband are fleeing for their lives. A few weeks ago, she received anonymous notification, indicating that the life of her child was threatened. Now, off the coast of Africa, the couple is aboard a yacht, fleeing for the safety of their child. Under the cover of darkness, a group of Somali pirates hijacks the ship, killing the crew, her husband, and kidnapping the pregnant Amanda. This story alone would be enough to capture American headlines, but there is one more detail that makes this an even bigger story. Amanda is the daughter of the President of the United States!

In "Bloodline", the latest installment in the popular Sigma Force series by author James Rollins, Sigma, a secretive US military group, is tasked with finding the kidnapped Amanda. Gray Pierce, field leader of the covert team, is dealing with problems of his own. His mother was caught in the crossfire of his previous mission, in which his pursuit of the elusive organization, The Guild, led to her murder, leaving his father, who is slowly declining into dementia, to live alone.  By straddling his protagonist with the guilt of his mother's death, Rollins turns what could have been a mindless super-human warrior into an everyman with genuine emotions.

Sigma enlists the help of a highly trained, army dog, Kane, and trainer, Tucker, to assist with the search. The sequences featuring the dog allow Rollins to flex his creative muscles, as he narrates entire passages from the perspective of the dog. Through this inventive method, Rollins successfully portrays the authentic relationship of trust between man and animal where the lives of both completely rests in the hands of the other.

As the investigation continues, the team uncovers a shocking connection between the kidnapping and the elusive Guild. Coming closer to discovering the motivation behind the abduction, Gray is fueled by both a desire to return the missing woman and unborn child safely to their family and by an urge to seek revenge for the brutal killing of his mother.

Despite being the eighth novel in the series, "Bloodline" has enough back-story to stand on its own. Writing with an authoritative confidence, Rollins provides the perfect combination of thrills, emotion, and fact. With an abundance of characters and story lines, he keeps the story sailing in the right direction, never allowing the focus to shift from the impending conclusion. His accessible language allows for a quick pace and an easy read that packs action, science, and intrigue into a smart and entertaining novel.

For more information, visit the author's website http://www.jamesrollins.com/,
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/review/R1B858FTVQCD57/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
and http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13148921-bloodline.

(week 26, book 30)