Downrigger Drift

 

Another foray into my not so secret vice; the Deathlands series.

Depending on what site you use, Downrigger Drift is either #95 or #96 in the series.

As the title suggests this entry has a more nautical theme. This theme, throughout the series, has probably been my least favorite over all. Downrigger Drift does not fall into that category however. 

Set on the shore of Lake Michigan, we find our intrepid group of survival warriors meeting up with an old friend. We get a taste of Native American culture mixed in with the ultra violence that is the hallmark of the deathlands books. 

We meet a new kind of monster here which adds to the appeal of the story and even a bit more character development than usual. Fear not however, there is no shortage of violence, death and dismemberment. 

Again these are my private unapologetic indulgences and I thoroughly enjoy them offering no apology or literary defense. They are good escapist entertainment. Enjoy!

Mike

The Saturday Night Ghost Club

 

A Goodreads giveaway provided a print copy of The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson.

This middle grade coming of age story of Jake, his childhood friends and his uncle Calvin. The book calls Calvin "eccentric" but that appellation is usually reserved for a rich relative and I don't think he is. Anyway, he does have an abiding interest in the occult and is always including Jake and a couple of his friends on eerie adventures.

The adult Jake is the narrator and his stories are told episodically as memories. I can't reveal much of the story line here as it would lead quickly into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say the adventures are suitably creepy and unnerving. 

The author does a great job of painting a picture of youthful angst, feeling different from everyone else yet finding friends he can relate to. Author Davidson hooks the reader and draws them into The Saturday Night Ghost Clubs adventures and blind sides us with a climax that, I at least, did not see coming. Even though it is offered as a middle-grade read, this old grade reader really enjoyed it. The interactions with the familial characters were wonderfully written, very positive and loving. I recommend this book for young and old readers alike. Enjoy!

Mike 

Secret Santa

 

I won a print copy of Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer in a goodreads giveaway.

First, Secret Santa is not really a Christmas story per se, Christmas is the vehicle to present a pretty good horror story. I don't point this out as a negative, merely to say don't expect a lot of ho, ho, ho. 

Do expect a slow burn kind of horror tale. A good mystery involving an old german toy. Kind of made me think a bit as my wife owns some old german toys. Not a real secret or spoiler to share that the toy is central to the story, but how and why are. 

Set in a publishing house with many secrets, we get Lussi (pronounced like Lucy) an editor tasked with finding the next Stephen King. Her task is hampered by a less than friendly group of coworkers.

Lussi is the story teller so we get the full effect that the nefarious goings on impact her. I liked this approach, it engaged me quickly. The author does an admiral job of painting a sufficiently gloomy and terrifying  setting. His description of the publishing house has a kind of House of Usher vibe to it. It keeps the reader figuratively looking over their shoulder while reading. The cast of characters are truly as an eclectic eccentric group as one could wish for. 

Secret Santa is a good horror mystery. The authors use of very short chapters kept me reading longer than I might have because each chapter was only a few pages long so I'd think; okay one more and wind up reading several. All in all a goody quick creepy read. Enjoy!

Mike

 

First off, yes I am the author's husband. So take my review with however many grains of salt you feel you must. 

Dark Glen is set in a future where the government, and society, have gone completely off the rails. It follows the attempts of people who stand firm in their desire to live life following traditional family values and the constitution. The reader will not find hate speech (except maybe at the seriously wicked politicians). They will find a positive outlook for everyone in their community. This small community is made up of people from several social, religious, cultural and racial backgrounds.

They meet with another community of decidedly different people; creations of scientists interested in what they could do without considering if they should. I found it to be very imaginative, refreshing and creative. We get an ensemble versus a single hero. Cooperation, ingenuity and realism. Basically the author's vision of what a rebuilding could be when people decide to rebuild rather than continue to destroy. Several early readers commented on the story's predictions of current events when written a year ago.

There is a trigger warning, mainly because of some negative feedback Sonya received from early readers. That's okay, but keep in mind Dark Glen is not a political manifesto. It is a work of speculative fiction looking at one possibility. For me it fills the bill of what I like to read; post-apocalyptic, fantasy and escapism. I truly think that if the reader looks at the story that way, they will find a highly enjoyable book. Trying to turn it into a socio-political treatise will probably lead to frustration. Enjoy!

Mike

Sea Spray (Time Box#3)

 

Author John A. Heldt provided an e-copy of Sea Spray the third installment of the Time Box series. It is also the eighteenth book Mr. Heldt has offered. I have read them all and continue to thoroughly enjoy them. It has been great fun watching his talent grow and develop along the way. I don't mean to intimate that his earlier works are somehow inferior to his more recent offerings. Make no mistake, his storytelling ability is, and always has been, very impressive. What I mean by growth and development is his continued expanding and reimagining his time travel stories. Mr. Heldt does not fall into the trap of resting on a formula, but pushes himself to bring new and exciting situations to his work. I can (but won't) name best selling authors who don't challenge themselves this way.

Sea Spray demonstrates this growth splendidly. The third installment of the adventures of the Lane family takes a decidedly more serious and somber tack (you'll get that joke after you read the book). After all, someone is trying to kill the whole family. We still get Heldt's masterful interweaving of history, life and death drama, bittersweet romance, humor, coming of age angst and an unshakable zest for life. 

The people who are out to kill the Lanes are well developed also. They are not one-dimensional evil guys. The Lanes themselves are not pacifist pushovers. They take a much more proactive stance against their antagonists. I enjoy spending time in John Heldt's literary worlds. So much so that I read more slowly, to spend as much time with them as I can. Some of the action sequences however made that impossible; the shoot-out at Block Island is nothing short of riveting. In fact, the last 20% of the book just wouldn't let me go. I stayed up much later than usual because I just couldn't put it down and at the same time being sad because I knew I was going to be leaving them again.

Mr. Heldt does not (thankfully) rely on the dreaded and in my case despised cliffhanger, yet he does entice us with a hint at what's coming. He tells us where the next installment is set to begin. Wow! The only drawback to a good series is the wait between books. With John Heldt's work, these interludes are becoming more and more difficult.

If you haven't yet guessed, I give Sea Spray highest praise. It's a great continuation of the Lane's saga. I strongly encourage readers to check this one out. Enjoy!

Mike

Our Contest (Bystanders #4)

 

Author Phillip Murrell Provided a print copy of Our Contest : Bystanders #4 for review.

The final book in the Bystander series certainly does not disappoint. 

Too many main characters to focus on here, many individual storylines interwoven with the main story. It is difficult for me to even call it a good versus evil story. From the Earth peoples viewpoint certainly the "Malignant" are evil. But taking a view of the ongoing "contest" between the combatants lead by Father and those lead by Mother kind of erases those distinctions for me. 

Great for fans of technology, mythology, over the top action and intricate story-telling. So, Father and Mother seem to be playing out this contest throughout the universe and the final conflict is to take place on earth. Lucky earth. 

With six weeks to go before that battle, we see all the various characters prepare and continues to works towards their individual goals while they can. For me, the story started a bit slow. Probably because I hate waiting. But when the stuff actually hits the fan, WOW! The action is intense and nonstop. Loved it. 

Author Murrell does a good job of tying up all the loose ends. I like that. I had no "But what about ..." questions. A very good conclusion to a wildly inventive series. I recommend it if you want a lot of action, crime, drama, politics, well, you name it genre wise it is probably here. Enjoy!

Mike

Gabriella Gigabyte: Secret of the King Cobra

I won a print copy of  Gabriella Gigabyte: Secret of the King Cobra in a Goodreads Giveaway.

This book is directed at young teens or earlier and hits that mark well. Our heroine Gabriella is, among other things, a computer wiz. She often spends time in her father's shop solving computer problems no one else can. 

As with most books of this genre, Gabriella Gigabyte: Secret of the King Cobra highlights the abilities of the children over their parents or other adults. The positive difference for me is that adults in this book are not ineffectual clowns. Dad isn't a buffoon, mom is not a clueless socialite. They are both quite the opposite. A good balance. There are quite a few twists that surprised even an adult reader like me.

Gabriella, in true heroine fashion, does find clues and answers using her own gifts and abilities. Over all a fun and uplifting story that does not denigrate the family but supports it. Very refreshing. I give it top marks as a book targeted to a younger audience. Enjoy!

Mike