#awardwinningauthor – Page 32 – Rosepoint Publishing

The Silent Sisters (Charles Jenkins Book 3) by Robert Dugoni – #BookReview – International Mystery and Crime

“When you can have everything, you appreciate nothing.”

Book Blurb:

After a harrowing escape from Russian agents on his last mission, Charles Jenkins thinks he’s finally done with the spy game. But then the final two of the seven sisters—American assets who have been deep undercover in Russia for decades—cut off all communication with their handlers. Are they in hiding after detecting surveillance? Or have they turned and become double agents? It’s Jenkins’s duty to find out, but he’s been added to a Russian kill list. It will require all of Jenkins’s knowledge of spycraft—and an array of disguises—to return to the country undetected.

But plans go awry his first night in Moscow when Jenkins gets involved in an altercation that ends in the death of the son of one of Russia’s most powerful organized crime leaders. Pursued by mafia henchmen, Russian agents, and a particularly dogged Moscow police detective, Jenkins is determined to track down the final two sisters and get them to America—or die trying. As various forces close in, Jenkins fears this time he might’ve pushed his luck too far.

My Review:

The first of my 2-22-22 reviews, don’t you know I’m a Dugoni fan having read a number of his Tracy Crosswhite series, and this, the last in his Charles Jenkins trilogy. Once again the aging ex-CIA agent is being sent back to Russia to safely extricate two remaining of the “silent sisters.”

These missions are not getting any easier for Charles, a 6’5” black man who would probably stand out most anywhere but in Russia will require a number of ingenious disguises. He’s good at this even at 64 (65?) years—has done it before—most recently Paulina, and that’s casually mentioned in this episode.

Jenkins quickly moves the first to safety but then runs into a bit of trouble with the second. His own doing and what kinda nudged me off five stars this time, that I couldn’t believe with his track record he’d have made such a thoughtless mistake. Of course, that sets off the other well-plotted multi-antagonists as if it isn’t bad enough to anger the Russian counterintelligence.

As always, however, I enjoy getting a front row seat to the area, in this case Moscow, off the beaten path, a tour no tourist would ever get. Dugoni’s characters—yah gotta love’em. The engaging and effective women or men meant to love, you love; the antagonists meant to loathe are truly disgusting and all are well-developed.

The fast-paced series MOVES! Between flipping between mafioso, Russian intelligence, and spies, the plot never waivers or slows. Your heart sinks or soars with the twists and turns, charismatic characters to root for, and the prose thought provoking.

“…love is not about who you can live with, but about who you cannot live without.”

Always satisfying, the conclusion eases the amped tension. You could actually read this as a standalone, but for more insight into the main characters, I also recommend both The Eighth Sister and The Last Agent.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Espionage Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: ‎1542008344
ASIN: B08WLVP716
Print Length: 399 pages
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): The Silent Sisters

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 8 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, and the literary novels, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award and the critically acclaimed, The World Played Chess; as well as the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. Several of his novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.

Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Visit his website at http://www.robertdugoni.com, and follow him on twitter @robertdugoni and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni

City of the Dead: An Alex Delaware Novel (Book 37) by Jonathan Kellerman – #BookReview – #crimethrillers

Book Blurb:

The past comes back to haunt psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis when they investigate a grisly double homicide and uncover an even more unspeakable motive in this riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

Los Angeles is a city of sunlight, celebrity, and possibility. The L.A. often experienced by Homicide Lt. Detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware is a city of the dead.

Early one morning, the two of them find themselves in a neighborhood of pretty houses, pretty cars, and pretty people. The scene they encounter is anything but. A naked young man lies dead in the street, the apparent victim of a collision with a moving van hurtling through suburbia in the darkness. But any thoughts of accidental death vanish when a blood trail leads to a nearby home.

Inside, a young woman lies butchered. The identity of the male victim and his role in the horror remains elusive, but that of the woman creates additional questions. And adding to the shock, Alex has met her while working a convoluted child custody case. Cordelia Gannett was a self-styled internet influencer who’d gotten into legal troubles by palming herself off as a psychologist. Even after promising to desist, she’s found a loophole and has continued her online career, aiming to amass clicks and ads by cyber-coaching and cyber-counseling people plagued with relationship issues.

But upon closer examination, Alex and Milo discover that her own relationships are troublesome, including a tortured family history and a dubious personal past. Has that come back to haunt her in the worst way? Is the mystery man out in the street collateral damage or will he turn out to be the key to solving a grisly double homicide? As the psychologist and the detective explore L.A.’s meanest streets, they peel back layer after layer of secrets and encounter a savage, psychologically twisted, almost unthinkable motive for violence and bloodshed.

This is classic Delaware: Alex, a man Milo has come to see as irreplaceable, at his most insightful and brilliant.

His Review:

A gripping mystery of unsolved murders. The murderer is very sophisticated and leaves no physical evidence. A move into an upscale neighborhood is disrupted when a moving van hits a nude man at 4:00 in the morning. Everything comes to a complete stop as the investigation begins.

A gorgeous young thirty-something is found killed in her property a few houses away! Can these crimes be connected? The moving van operators are completely baffled by the accident and subsequent investigation. The nude body had appeared out of nowhere. At 4:00 in the morning, how is this even possible? Could it have been a fraternity or sorority prank gone terribly wrong?

Jonathan Kellerman keeps the suspense clouded through much of the book. His development of criminal cases dovetailing upon each other without a tangible path is masterful. It took nearly three-fourths of the book to begin to piece together the sequence of events. Meanwhile, dead-end trails were skillfully knit into the narrative to keep me as a reader on the hook.

I would suggest this book to anyone who is a fan of a well-developed who-done-it and enjoys a cunning read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Murder Thrillers, Mysteries
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ASIN: B094GS94R4
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: February 8, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Links: City of the Dead [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than three dozen bestselling crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher’s Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, True Detectives, and The Murderer’s Daughter. With his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. With his son, bestselling novelist Jesse Kellerman, he co-authored The Golem of Hollywood and The Golem of Paris. He is also the author of two children’s books and numerous nonfiction works, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children and With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California, New Mexico, and New York.

Christmas bough

Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door (A Jane Darrowfield Mystery Book2) by Barbara Ross – #BookReview – #cozymystery

Book Blurb:

Jane Darrowfield is using her retirement years to work as a professional busybody, with most of her business coming from her West Cambridge, Massachusetts, community. This time her client is right next door . . .

JANE DARROWFIELD AND THE MADWOMAN NEXT DOOR

Megan, who’s purchased the house next to Jane’s, needs some help from her snooping neighbor. Megan’s been having blackouts, hearing voices—and feeling like someone’s following her. Are these symptoms of an illness—or signs that she’s in danger?

Considering the extensive security system in Megan’s house, it seems like she should be safe—yet she soon vanishes into thin air. Some think she’s run away, but would this ambitious young lawyer on the partner track really miss a meeting with an important client? And where’s Megan’s cat?

The mystery is about to deepen when the cat is finally located in a hidden panic room—and as Jane and the police look into Megan’s friends, family, and past, it may be time to sound the alarm . . .

My Review:

I’m one of those who read and enjoy the Maine Clambake Mysteries so jumped on the chance to start with Book 1 (an audiobook) in the author’s new series, Professional Busybody. Book 2 takes a slightly different tack in that she is asked by Megan Larson, her mid-thirties single lawyer neighbor next door to ascertain if she is having mental problems or there really is someone out to drive her off the rails. She’s been seeing things, having lights turned on or off, hearing things. Or is it just the “smart” house that is running amok?

No prob. Jane is on the job and shortly comes up with a theory just about the time the woman goes missing. Oh, yes, this one doesn’t take long to go from 0 to 60.

Jane is an independent woman, fully capable, intelligent, and solid with Detective Alvarez as well as a new and developing love interest, Harry. Both the support characters are looking pretty good and I’m hoping all three will see further developing as the series progresses. Jane is also working on another little conflict in the neighborhood, that of Roo the cat.

This is a slightly more serious cozy, following the basic formula, and switching it up with twists. Not too difficult to figure out the culprit, but the deepening mystery pushed some tension and made for an engaging and entertaining read.

I enjoyed Book 1 and thought this one was a great sophomore effort sure to cement some old as well as new fans to the series and author. I like the theme of a capable and caring senior, connected but subtle in her methods. An easy and well-paced novel.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Craft & Hobby Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ASIN: B091M9PPQS
Print Length: 250 pages
Publication Date: December 28, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Barbara Ross is the author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries and the Jane Darrowfield Mysteries. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She lives in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at http://www.barbararossauthor.com

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Amazon Charts #17 this week

Book Blurb:

There’s chaos in Hollywood at the end of the New Year’s Eve countdown. Working her graveyard shift, LAPD detective Renée Ballard waits out the traditional rain of lead as hundreds of revelers shoot their guns into the air. Only minutes after midnight, Ballard is called to a scene where a hardworking auto shop owner has been fatally hit by a bullet in the middle of a crowded street party.

Ballard quickly concludes that the deadly bullet could not have fallen from the sky and that it is linked to another unsolved murder—a case at one time worked by Detective Harry Bosch. At the same time, Ballard hunts a fiendish pair of serial rapists, the Midnight Men, who have been terrorizing women and leaving no trace.

Determined to solve both cases, Ballard feels like she is constantly running uphill in a police department indelibly changed by the pandemic and recent social unrest. It is a department so hampered by inertia and low morale that Ballard must go outside to the one detective she can count on: Harry Bosch. But as the two inexorable detectives work together to find out where old and new cases intersect, they must constantly look over their shoulders. The brutal predators they are tracking are ready to kill to keep their secrets hidden.

His Review:

New Year’s Eve is never a good time to pull duty. Detective Ballard has been working the midnight shift for a number of months. She is partnered with another female, Detective Moore, who wanted the night off. Ballard is not a popular member of the Hollywood police unit. Everyone is happy she is on the night shift.

Her boss does not like her. His objective is to have her investigate and solve the crimes and then have them turned over to the day unit so he can take the credit. Ballard’s partner wants to have New Year’s Eve off and does not show for her watch. This is definitely a breach of protocol.

A group of thugs called “The Midnight Men” were committing brutal rapes in Ballard’s territory. She is tasked with investigating the case but is also forewarned that the case will more than likely be turned over to the day watch fairly quickly. The ugly job of interviewing the victims is given to her. Looking for a common modus operandi in three quick cases makes for a ton of paperwork. Ballard prefers field work and generating case work is less than satisfying.

Victims of crime are forced to relive the crime to help in solving them. This makes Ballard a very unpopular detective. Similarities in the way the crimes evolve lead to a very identifiable pattern. But finding out the sequence of events leaves the detective on the low end of the popularity scale.

True to his understanding of the craft, Michael Connelly develops a very plausible sequence of events and the story becomes more gripping as time goes on. The clues in the book make the attempt to solve the crime more satisfying. This novel certainly will not disappoint. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

[Note: I previously listened to three audiobooks by this author, one from his Harry Bosch series (surprised to discover there is an Amazon Prime TV series Bosch), Two Kinds of Truth, one from Renée Ballard series, The Late Show, and one from the Mickey Haller series, The Law of Innocence. All audiobooks, I appreciated the latter the least, so decided it was time I got an eBook for the CE. He read this one.]

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions–and interestingly enough–just about the same as mine.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator Mysteries
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: ‎0316485640
ASIN: B08WLRG1L2
Print Length: 401
Publication Date: November 9, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Dark Hours [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of over thirty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Law Of Innocence, Fair Warning, The Night Fire, Dark Sacred Night, Two Kinds Of Truth, and The Late Show. Michael is the executive producer of Bosch, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty – #Audiobook Review – Domestic Thriller

Amazon Charts #7 this week
**2021 AudioFile Best Audiobooks
2021 Washington Post Best Books of the Year**

Book Blurb:

The Delaney family love one another dearly – it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other….

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after 50 years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children – Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke – were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure – but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

My Review:

No, No, NO! My first Moriarty book and looking at the reviews I can’t understand for the life of me how Amazon proclaims this a best seller with several number one genres. The reviewers loved it? Or no, the reviewers hated it! I think I can see why.

As you’ve no doubt heard (because, gee, who hasn’t?), the plot revolves heavily around an Aussie family totally tennis obsessed. It’s the Delaney family, all six of them; parents and two daughters, two sons. Dad is a tennis coach, had his coaching business for years while both he and his wife Joy could equally have “been a contender.”

But Joy sacrificed all that adoration to raise her brood and now that they are gone, have lives of their own, she wants grandchildren.

But wait, isn’t she festering over all the hard work, the time, attention, and the lack of acknowledgement she should have received for her being best tennis mommy and business director?

Some called it boring. Well, maybe it is. It is definitely a slow burn. But my goodness, this is an intense study in the family with low-lying suspense underneath the strongly character-driven plot. As is typical, each child is 180 degrees from the other and they are rather selfishly driven with their individual paths. Truth be told, how many of the four embraced that tennis fever? Was it Logan? Any of them?

So Joy goes missing and the storyline jumps from immediate backstory to present that includes a mysterious stranger (Savannah) taking advantage of the retired couple—heaven knows they have the room—but why did they take her in, who is she, and why is she there? Wait—is something fishy going on?

Complicated plot, complex relationships, the simmering resentment apparently on Stan’s (the father’s) side as well. He handled explosive situations by removing himself. Just leaving. Well, nothing like being left to handle all the conflict…….argh!

My first experience with this author. The novel is very long and there are so many underlying issues to resolve. Yes, this reader was driven to find out what happened to Joy because at this point, I’m clueless (although there had been a short hint early on). The daughters fell on one side of the defense of dad, the sons the other.

Well, hang’m high! (If only they could find the body.)

But, then the conclusion.

Yeah, you’ll have to slough through the book or catch the audiobook and I must say, narrator Caroline Lee did a very credible job of helping to build the tension. Not really one character to fully invest in—I didn’t much care for the lot. And tennis is not my game.

That extra little zinger at the end? Nope. Unnecessary. I agree with many of the others who hated it. I wasn’t a fan either and it just kind of ruined the redemption gained in conclusion for me. (I had softened somewhat regarding the relationship between Joy and Stan at the end.)

Book Details:

Genre: #1 Suspense (Audible Books), #1 Family Life Fiction (Audible Books), #1 Domestic Thrillers (Books)
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B08V8939WY
Listening Length: 18 hrs 3 mins
Narrator: Caroline Lee
Publication Date: September 14, 2021
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Apples Never Fall [Amazon]

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

The Author: Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of eight internationally best-selling novels: Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, What Alice Forgot, The Hypnotist’s Love Story, Nine Perfect Strangers and the number one New York Times bestsellers: The Husband’s Secret, Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty. Her books have been translated into over forty languages and sold more than 20 million copies.

Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty both debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list – the first time this was ever achieved by an Australian author. Big Little Lies was adapted into a multiple award-winning HBO series with a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Hulu is adapting Nine Perfect Strangers into a limited series starring Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy for release in 2021.

Her new novel, Apples Never Fall, will be released in September 2021.

Liane lives in Sydney, Australia, together with her husband, son and daughter. You can find out more at http://www.lianemoriarty.com and http://www.facebook.com/LianeMoriartyAuthor

The Narrator: Caroline is based in Melbourne, Australia, and has worked professionally as a theatre, television, film and voice actress for over thirty years. She has worked with many companies around Australia including the Malthouse, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Back to Back Theatre, Red Stitch Actors Theatre, Chamber Made Opera, MKA, Finucane and Smith, HeLD Productions, Hildegard, Playbox and La Mama. She is a proud ensemble member of the Red Stitch Actors Theatre. [Hasty Book List]

happy thursday!

Targeted (Bob Lee Swagger Novel Book 12) by Stephen Hunter – #BookReview – #politicalthrillers

Book Blurb:

After his successful takedown of a dangerous terrorist, Bob Lee Swagger learns that no good deed goes unpunished. Summoned to court by the United States Congress, Swagger is accused of reckless endangerment by a hardheaded anti-gun congresswoman. But what begins as political posturing soon turns deadly when the auditorium where the committee is being held is attacked.

Swagger, the congresswoman, and numerous bystanders and reporters are taken hostage by a group of violent operatives. Soon, the very people who had accused him are depending on him to save their lives. Trapped in the auditorium and still struggling with injuries from his last assignment, Swagger must rely on his instincts, his shooting skills, and the help of a mysterious rogue sniper on the outside in order to ensure that everyone makes it out alive.

His Review:

Bob Lee Swagger was on the mend and trying to stay out of the public eye. However, congress needs a scapegoat to assuage the appetite of the public to reduce or eliminate the perceived excessive use of force in apprehending the criminal element. Congresswoman Venable sees him as the perfect example to make the public aware of potential loose cannons in society. How can this be accomplished? Swagger’s aim and accuracy is uncommonly superior. What kind of cartridge was he using?

Uncle Vakha’s nephews were very strong from countless hours in the gym at the prison. They were not the brightest but what they lacked in brainpower they made up for in loyalty and tenacity. Uncle and his four nephews came from Chechnya and regarded the people from the western hemisphere as soft. They would quarter no mercy to anyone who got in their way.

Congresswoman Venable utilizes the Frank Church High School auditorium in Boise, Idaho as her venue for the assail on firearms and the perceived overuse by both the public and law enforcement of the same. A number of congressional cronies are enlisted to help in this crusade. The second amendment to the constitution never anticipated the capacity and capabilities of today’s ammunition.

Uncle Vakha and his nephews have escaped from a maximum-security prison by commandeering a prison transfer bus. They want to get back to their homeland and feel that disrupting the meeting and taking hostages will accomplish that goal. The entire enterprise turns into a donnybrook. The team brought into the meeting to be chastised by the Congresswoman and her cohorts suddenly find themselves in the position of saving the situation.

This author looks for a way to equate Swagger to a genetic predisposition for heroics in this kind of endeavor. Can the ability to work under great emotional stress be genetically traced? The idea is laudable and fun to contemplate. I suggest anyone who is familiar with Seals, Delta Force, and black ops will enjoy this book. 4.5 stars – C.E. Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Assassination Thrillers, Political Thrillers & Suspense
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
ASIN: B09842S6JN
Print Length: 384 pages
Publication Date: January 18, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Targeted [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Stephen Hunter won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism as well as the 1998 American Society of Newspaper Editors Award for Distinguished Writing in Criticism for his work as film critic at The Washington Post. He is the author of several bestselling novels, including Time to Hunt, Black Light, Point of Impact, and the New York Times bestsellers Havana, Pale Horse Coming, and Hot Springs. He lives in Baltimore.

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing

Moscow Embassy: The Angara Club by Thomas J Mitchell – #BookReview – #politicalfiction

2020 CIPA EVVY AWARD WINNER for Thrillers and Suspense.

Book Blurb:

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS—A POWERFUL PORTRAYAL OF ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL EMBASSY PROJECTS IN HISTORY—the construction of the US Embassy in Moscow from 1996 to 2000. Moscow Embassy “The Angara Club” BLENDS HISTORICAL FACTS, FAMOUS CELEBRITIES, AND VIVID IMAGERY to bring this novel to life. The story of American construction workers who are recruited by the Russian KGB to plant listening devices and engage in other espionage activities while the new Moscow Embassy is under construction—and while US intelligence agencies working in concert with Britain’s MI6 are going to great lengths to neutralize the Russian threat. It is also the story of the men and women in the public and private sectors—the nomads who go from one country to the next, building these beautiful facilities for the US government. With a cast of colorful characters and a plot filled with danger and political intrigue, Moscow Embassy “The Angara Club” is a fascinating novel about an industry most people never think about. The story of American construction workers who are recruited by the Russian KGB to plant listening devices and engage in other espionage activities while the new Moscow Embassy is under construction—and while US intelligence agencies working in concert with Britain’s MI6 are going to great lengths to neutralize the Russian threat. It is also the story of the men and women in the public and private sectors—the nomads who go from one country to the next, building these beautiful facilities for the US government. With a cast of colorful characters and a plot filled with danger and political intrigue, Moscow Embassy “The Angara Club” is a fascinating novel about an industry most people never think about.

His Review:

How do you protect an embassy and its’ personnel in a foreign country? Mitchell’s book explores this in detail. You cannot hire Russian Contractors because the primary mission would be to put listening devices all over the building. Therefore, the object is to build a structure without foreign assistance.

Steel needs to be purchased for the building. In the case of the U.S. Embassy the structure will be eight floors above ground. The costs are prohibitive to bring the steel by ship into Russian ports and then bring them by rail to the construction site. Therefore, locally sourced steel which met the building specifications was the answer.

Mother Russia is trying to figure out how to put listening devices into the steel during fabrication. The Americans tasked with maintaining the integrity of the building continually examined the beams and rejected those with listening devices. The Russians then developed very sophisticated methods of attaching the devices to the edifice.

A cat and mouse game was played throughout the construction period. Some of the devices were obviously detected and removed. The final solution was to allow the devices in selected locations in the building. Then by adding sound deadening devices or sound dampers the result was allowing the enemy to eavesdrop on those discussions the U.S. wanted the enemy to hear. False or misinformation is as important as no information against a foreign power.

The book explains very completely the means Russia used to compromise some of the contractors working on the project. Russia and her satellites have many very beautiful ladies they involve in information gathering. This makes for a very interesting back and forth between the two governments. The ladies were required to get to know the contractors and get them to fall in love with them.

The result is a very interesting mix of romance and intrigue. I could see the way that the ladies were used and some of them wound up marrying the guys and moving here to the states. I wonder if they are involved in information gathering even though they are now U.S. Citizens? A very interesting problem to contemplate! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Fiction, Espionage Thrillers
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
ASIN: B0829DLJ7Z
Print Length: 344 pages
Publication Date: December 2, 2019
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Moscow Embassy [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble

The Author: Thomas J. Mitchell is a world traveler, writer, musician, and fitness enthusiast. He has been involved in construction management of embassy projects for over 20 years. Mr. Mitchell lived in Moscow and worked on the construction of the Moscow Embassy between 1996 and 1997 and again between 2013 and 2015. During his long career he has been involved with the construction of several other embassy projects located in the South Pacific, Africa, and Central and South America. He currently works as an embassy construction consultant from his home base in the Southwest. Moscow Embassy “The Angara Club” is his debut novel.

Silent Parade: Detective Galileo Series Book 4 by Keigo Higashino – #BookReview – #policeprocedurals

Book Blurb:

Detective Galileo, Keigo Higashino’s best loved character from The Devotion of Suspect X, returns in Silent Parade, a complex and challenging mystery—several murders, decades apart, with no solid evidence.

A popular young girl disappears without a trace, her skeletal remains discovered three years later in the ashes of a burned out house. There’s a suspect and compelling circumstantial evidence of his guilt, but no concrete proof. When he isn’t indicted, he returns to mock the girl’s family. And this isn’t the first time he’s been suspected of the murder of a young girl, nearly twenty years ago he was tried and released due to lack of evidence. Detective Chief Inspector Kusanagi of the Homicide Division of the Tokyo Police worked both cases.

The neighborhood in which the murdered girl lived is famous for an annual street festival, featuring a parade with entries from around Tokyo and Japan. During the parade, the suspected killer dies unexpectedly. His death is suspiciously convenient but the people with all the best motives have rock solid alibis. DCI Kusanagi turns once again to his college friend, Physics professor and occasional police consultant Manabu Yukawa, known as Detective Galileo, to help solve the string of impossible-to-prove murders.

His Review:

Saori Namiki is missing! She is the eldest daughter of Yutaro and Machiko Namiki. She had a beautiful voice (concert quality) and was absolutely stunning. Where could she have disappeared to? Three years later her body is discovered in a derelict house in the outskirts of a neighboring village.

The writing is very complete and covers all of the characters in the village. Some of them have known Saori since she was a small girl. Everyone in the village felt she was a credit to her family, would go far in life, and she was a talented treasure.

Kanichi Hasunuma is a stranger to the village and is disliked by everyone. He is abrasive and obnoxious. The Namiki’s own a restaurant and put up with his bullying every day. He requires that Saori refill his tea cup each time he drinks his tea and requests demeaning service from the young lady. He has been seen more than once pinching her buttocks and then laughing or smirking at her displeasure. He is finally banned from using the restaurant, however, he continues to come around with his haughty and demeaning attitude.

The whole village suspects Hasunuma has done something to Saori but they have no proof or witnesses. She was such a happy and outgoing young lady. A potential star musical performer! The discovery of her body destroyed her parents and her boyfriend left the village searching for answers. Who would have done such a thing to such a beautiful and gentle creature?

The writer builds this story like the integral detective investigation it took to solve it. Each character in the story is proven to have a solid alibi during the commission of the crime. The novel involves rather intricate devices to dispatch people. When the corpse of Hasunuma is discovered in a closed room the plot thickens. There are very few marks on his body and yet he is dead.

This entire novel reads like a crime investigation primer. How could some of the crimes actually have been committed? I marveled at the intricacies of the various methods and thought processes utilized to complete the crimes. I recommend the book as a way to delve into the minds of Japanese detectives and criminals. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: International Mystery & Crime, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: ‎ 1250624819
ASIN: B08R2L9Y3L
Print Length: 345 pages
Publication Date: December 14, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Silent Parade [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Keigo Higashino (東野圭吾) is one of the most popular and biggest selling fiction authors in Japan—as well known as James Patterson, Dean Koontz or Tom Clancy are in the USA.

Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co. (presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo.

In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The Secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin. His novels had been nominated five times before winning with this novel.

The Devotion of Suspect X was the second highest selling book in all of Japan— fiction or nonfiction—the year it was published, with over 800,000 copies sold. It won the prestigious Naoki Prize for Best Novel— the Japanese equivalent of the National Book Award and the Man Booker Prize. Made into a motion picture in Japan, The Devotion of Suspect X spent 4 weeks at the top of the box office and was the third highest‐grossing film of the year.

Higashino’s novels have more movie and TV series adaptations than Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum, and as many as Michael Crichton. [Goodeads]

Happy Autumn Weekend to you from Rosepoint Publishing