#fivestars – Rosepoint Publishing

Christopher Hawkins and His Daring Escapes: A Revolutionary War Novel by Jeanne Brownlee Becijos #BookReview #historicalfiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

An amazing true story of a young sailor during the American Revolution
**For readers of all ages
The Revolutionary War is raging, and 12-year-old Christopher Hawkins runs away to follow his dream of being a sailor and a patriot. During his first sea adventure, the British capture his ship. Quick-witted Christopher escapes at his first opportunity.

At 17, Christopher joins another American privateer ship but is soon captured by the British. This time, he is delivered to the notorious British ship HMS Jersey, the war’s deadliest prison. Armed with only courage, cunning, and a sense of humor, Christopher Hawkins will face death unless he can escape from his British captors twice more.

His Review:

The picture of George Washington crossing the Delaware River to win our freedom sticks in most people’s minds. This tale is quite different but nevertheless very informative. The “Red Coats” were a brutal contingent of soldiers who held no sympathy for the American Colonists! Our forefathers were, after all, rebelling from the true monarch.

Christopher Hawkins and His Daring Escapes — Christopher Hawkins – UK cover

Christopher Hawkins is a young man intent upon helping the cause of freedom. He is young and idealistic. Indentured servants were common and he was sold by his father to help in a tannery. He hated the job and the smells and got word that those sailing on ships could expect to share in goods captured on the high seas. His problem was that the British ships were larger, better manned and the end result was capture and imprisonment.

Young Hawkins is able to escape the prison ship and tries to get back to his home in Rhode Island. The journey is a very long and dangerous journey on foot. There are families who give him shelter and food as he travels.

Ultimately, he is captured and returned in chains to a ship off the coast. The ship, however, is badly over-populated and in the melee, he slips overboard and swims to land. He travels at night and hides during the day. Without a light to guide his way, his travels are fraught with danger.

His memories are very enlightening and entertaining. They have given me an entirely new perspective on the Revolutionary War. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Geared for the younger crowd, this is also informative for adults. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: US Revolution & Founding History
Publication Date: July 24, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: As a fan of family history, Jeanne Brownlee Becijos has enjoyed digging into the story of her ancestor Christopher Hawkins and traveling to New York, Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island to explore the roads Christopher traveled during his escapes. Jeanne has taught K-12 and college students and has written educational textbooks and award-winning plays. She lives in San Diego with her husband.

To learn more about Christopher Hawkins and his world, visit Jeanne’s website http://jeanne.becijos.com

Happiness is a reading buddy — AI generated graphic courtesy Gemini

Mad Mabel: A Novel by Sally Hepworth #AudiobookReview – Dark Humor Literature & Fiction

in Dark Humor Literature and Fiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Meet Mad Mabel.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She’s lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years–longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie’s past start coming to light. Who was “Mad Mabel” fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Told with Sally Hepworth’s twists, humor, charm, and heart, MAD MABEL is novel that weaves past and present together–through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

My Review:

Oh I have greatly enjoyed this author previously in deeply suspenseful literary novels, the last one being Darling Girls. The lady can write. This one doesn’t carry that tension-filled nail-biting thriller genre quite like that one, but nonetheless, was unique and quite entertaining.

Yes, once again, a protagonist near my age—I loved it! And of course I was listening to the audiobook and expected to hear that querulous voice so often attributed to an octogenarian, but, thank you, while just a little sharp, it merely reflects the woman’s no-nonsense personality. She’s had it tough and the book will explain why. But not right away.

I loved Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. She’s a great main character and oozes personality. It’s one of those tough hide, soft heart things and it almost immediately bumps up against the latter when seven-year-old Persephone moves into the neighborhood with her single and struggling mother, Roxanne.

Persephone drove me nuts and for awhile, I had the same go away reaction to her as did Mabel. Long after I was ready to kick Persephone to the curb, Mabel was grudgingly beginning to hide obvious tender feelings for the poor thing, needy and lonely as she was.

In the meantime, Mabel discovered her neighbor in his little home…dead. This will not go well with her history and as there was a bit of antagonism between the two, it won’t take long for that bit to be discovered. Mabel’s background includes a murder conviction when she was fifteen. Even in her old Australian neighborhood, will she never be able to outrun that history?

The author does a fine job of weaving dual timelines with little twists that tease the imagination and beg the question—was Elsie the unfortunate child of deadly circumstances, bad timing, questionable coincidences and circumstantial evidence? Can anyone have this much bad luck? Is she, after all, innocent?

I enjoyed the sense of humor, the dialogue, and the build of empathy for Elsie…and the kid, as well as the contradictions in how her neighbors perceived her. No one believed this. She took in the victim’s dog? She didn’t like that dog. This is some great storytelling and the twists at the end truly caught me by surprise. Loved it. Yeah, I’ve got to recommend this one to my book club.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good satirical plot that will keep you flipping pages and forgetting the main character’s age. As my good motobuddy used to say, “age is just a number.”

Many thanks to Lynne at Fictionophile for her recommendation and to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Dark Humor Literature & Fiction, Domestic Thrillers, Dark Humor
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Hannah Fredericksen, Jenny Seedsman
Release Date: April 21, 2026

Title Links:

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Good Sister and The Soulmate. Her latest novel, Darling Girls, was released in Australia in September 2023, and will be released in North America in April 2024.

Drawing on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour, Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity. Her domestic thriller novels are laced with quirky humour, sass and a darkly charming tone. They are available worldwide in English and have been translated into twenty languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her three children and one adorable dog. She has recently taken up ocean swimming (or to put it more accurately, ocean dipping).

5 stars

The Colonel’s Revenge by Jeffrey K Schmoll – #BookReview #AdventureThriller #TuesdayBookBlog

A Mateus de Silva Adventure Book 2

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

The prison is sealed. The vault is wired. But history always collects.

On the scorched battlefields of 1980s Angola, Colonel Juan Mateus de Silva survives a brutal ambush that costs him everything. His men. His command. His closest friend. When his general abandons them to die, de Silva answers in blood. Marked for execution, he flees across the border into Namibia. He is not running from justice. He is hunting it.

With a South African deserter at his side, he disappears into the shadows of Cape Town. But betrayal follows.

Decades later in California, his grandson uncovers an impossible truth. The colonel is still alive, buried deep inside an illegal gold mine in South Africa. Getting him out will take a crew, a flawless plan, and absolute precision under fire. The trail leads back to Cape Town, where a fortified casino holds the key to finishing what was started years ago.

The Colonel’s Revenge is a high-stakes thriller of war, betrayal, and a heist built on debts that refuse to die.

His Review:

The Colonel had been a star in Castro’s Cuba. However, Castro sends him all over the world to influence third-world countries. He began to live an expansive life style with a woman in every country he operated in. Meanwhile, his wife back in Cuba was raising a son and daughter by herself and the Colonel was no longer welcome in his birth country.

South Africa is a very dangerous country. People from all over Africa and Europe go there for the gambling. There is no table limit, and Juan Mateus de Silva quickly learns that this is better than robbing banks. He and his companions began to develop strategies to relieve the gambling houses of their earnings. He is targeted for elimination. Instead of killing him, however, he spends nearly 40 years as a prisoner working in the gold mines. Any attempt to escape earns 40 lashes and Juan’s back is a scarred testimony to this result.

As time goes by, the son has a son who discovers his grandfather is not dead. And he begins a plan.

The fast-pacing of the storyline as well as the setting keeps the interest throughout. The characters consist of some scoundrels; the main character being well developed.

This story can be brutal in its descriptions and the cruelties that exist in South Africa. Once in the system, there is no escape. Gold and diamonds are not worth the reward meted out by the mine owners and controllers of the economy. 5 stars – CE Williams

This is Book 2 of the Mateus de Silva series but can be read as a standalone. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Koehler Books
Publication Date: July 31, 2026
Source: Author request

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Jeffrey K Schmoll is the award-winning author of The Treasure of Tundavala Gap. He grew up among the tumbleweeds of Bakersfield, California, then spent years living and working on four continents and in seventeen homes with his wife and two children. From the rugged landscapes of Scotland to the vibrant cultures of Australia, Texas, and Louisiana, each place shaped him. None more than Angola, where his love for its people and landscape was born. Today he balances a deep faith, community service, competitive tennis, jewelry making, and epic adventure hikes that include summiting Mount Whitney and Half Dome each in a single day.

Man reading on his cell phone — Photo generated by Gemini

Midnight Patriots by Paul Levine – #BookReview #historicalthrillers #NetGalley

An Einstein-Chaplin Thriller

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

While war raged in Europe, the battle for America’s soul was already underway.

Blending fact and fiction, MIDNIGHT PATRIOTS follows real-life friends Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin as they confront powerful enemies threatening America.

It’s 1940. Europe is in flames. Germany occupies much of the continent, and the Blitz rains terror on London. Fritz Duquesne, a German spy straight from the history books, plots to kidnap Einstein and steal America’s nuclear secrets. Enraged by Chaplin’s mockery in The Great Dictator, Adolf Hitler dispatches an SS assassin to silence the man who ridiculed him. The story features Charles Lindbergh, Lena Horne, and J. Robert Oppenheimer—along with a beautiful German spy on a mission of her own. As Nazi agents and FBI operatives close in, all roads lead Einstein and Chaplin to a deadly showdown aboard the Santa Fe Super Chief as it races from Chicago to Los Angeles.

His Review:

Pre WW II the United States was in a turmoil. Lend Lease was providing England with tons of equipment and munitions to thwart the threat that Adolph Hitler posed. His desire to control the entire planet and develop a “thousand year reich” crippled the entire planet. People were being conscripted and killed by the millions while the philosophy in America was “let Europe fight its’ own battles.

Einstein had become a citizen 6 years earlier and loved his new country. Chaplin stirred the pot with a parody of Hitler as the little dictator. Hitler was sending hit squads to kill Chaplin and kidnap Einstein to bring him back to Germany and force him to work on their nuclear bomb. Meanwhile, some of their best agents are dying unexpectedly as they try to achieve Hitler’s goals of snuffing out and kidnapping these two miscreants.

Dr. Oppenheimer is working with the United States to help us win the nuclear arms race. Einstein resists any involvement in this madness and is a real skirt chaser. Between he and Chaplin they chase skirts all over the country. Their exploits are legendary! This book is fun to read and casts a whole new light on the nuclear arms race and the participants.

Edgar Hoover is portrayed as a megalomaniac who is very distrustful of President Roosevelt and sends death squads to eliminate Chaplin and grab Einstein. The F.B.I. meanwhile is tasked with protecting Einstein while trying to kill Chaplin.

C E Williams I found the characters unbelievable in the way they might actually have been as opposed to the way we’ve always thought of them. Surprise, surprise! Fun characters in a way you’ve never envisioned them with a satisfying conclusion. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ebook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Political Thrillers & Suspense, Historical Thrillers, Political Thrillers
Publisher: Herald Square
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Paul Levine is the Amazon Number One bestselling author of the “Jake Lassiter” and “Solomon vs. Lord” legal thriller series, and new in 2025, the “Einstein-Chaplin Thrillers.” His novels have sold millions of copies, won the John D. MacDonald Fiction Award, and been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, International Thriller Writers, Shamus, and Thurber prizes.

MIDNIGHT BURNING

[Best Thrillers Book Review Names MIDNIGHT BURNING “Best Historical Thriller of 2025″]

The Genius and the Tramp fight fascists in 1930s Hollywood. Clouds of war gather over Europe, and American fascists are on the march. While the FBI obsesses over suspected communists, Nazi agents plot an insurrection on U.S. soil. When the world’s two most famous men—Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin—uncover the plot, they fight back with only their wits, raw courage, and the fierce resolve of Georgia Ann Robinson, the LAPD’s first Black female officer.

The book draws from real history: Einstein and Chaplin were close friends; Robinson was a trailblazer with the LAPD; and “Operation Hollywood”—a Nazi plan to assassinate Chaplin and others—was chillingly real. Historical figures like Charles Lindbergh, Joseph and Magda Goebbels, William Randolph Hearst, and Woody Guthrie appear in the novel.

MIDNIGHT PATRIOTS is the second novel in the Einstein-Chaplin Series. The first entry, MIDNIGHT BURNING, was named “Historical Thriller of the Year” by Best Thrillers Book Review and one of the “Favorite Books of 2025” by Bookreporter. The books stand alone and may be read in any order.

Levine also wrote 20 episodes of CBS’s JAG and co-created the Supreme Court drama FIRST MONDAY, starring James Garner and Joe Mantegna. A former trial lawyer, he’s a graduate of Penn State and the University of Miami School of Law. He lives in Santa Barbara, California.

#SundayRead

Fool by Mary Lawrence #BookReview # RenaissanceHistoricalFiction

A Tudor Jester’s Reckoning in the Court of King Henry VIII

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Betrayal. Power. Perception. The most dangerous mind at court belongs to a fool.

From the author of The Alchemist’s Daughter comes a dark tale of ambition and survival.

“One of the most vibrant characters I’ve encountered in years.”–Goodreads Ecostell

Kronos is a fool–mocked for his dwarfism, prized for his juggling, and underestimated by everyone who matters. But in a court ruled by paranoia and whispers, invisibility is its own kind of power.

When Kronos overhears a secret that could destroy Queen Katherine Howard, he becomes a liability the crown cannot afford. Silenced, mutilated, and left for dead, he survives–barely.

Rescued by an ambitious apothecary, Kronos soon realizes he has not escaped danger–he has merely changed masters. His secret is worth a fortune…and powerful men are willing to kill to control it.

But Kronos has spent his life being overlooked and he’s ready to use that to his advantage.

As rival factions circle and scheme, Kronos sets a plan in motion–one that could topple the mighty, rewrite his fate, and force his foes to reconsider which of them is truly…the fool.

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom and Philippa Gregory

My Review:

Why am I not surprised that a Renaissance court jester would hold my rapt attention given the master storytelling author of such period works.

It’s the chaos of the brutally waning days of King Henry VIII, watching his battle against decline in aging years and few stalwart sons to brag about as well as his machismo. His court confronts conflict between the high-born aristocratic families of the Howards and the Seymours, the women are aging beyond childbearing years, Anne was separated from her head, and Katherine looks to be the next candidate who’ll restore his manhood, quell the whispers, and the snide remarks behind his back.

It’s a book steeped in era atmospherics—the color of the common cloak better to mask the cling of mud, the smell of the sewer ditches enough to unsettle the stomach. There is meticulous historical research and accuracy, intricately interwoven with the story of the Jester. But is he a Fool?

“Leave not to the imagination what you can make real.”

Kronos was left on a dung heap as an infant—the result, no doubt, of his obvious physical deformity. Rescued by the monks at the Thetford Priory, he was raised in a cloistered environment, taught to read and write, but then relegated to assignments in the kitchen and later the infirmary, when he failed to become a novice. Along with a robust native intelligence, wit, and cunning, he also discovered he had a bawdy side. When the monks discovered that of him as well, he was booted.

No problem! Preparing for his eventual release from the priory, he taught himself to juggle. How could he fail as the fool, the court jester, if he also had a talent? Didn’t he already have their attention just by his appearance? Unfortunately, he had another craft. Realizing early on he could be invisible, had developed a penchant for spying, eavesdropping, seeing what others did not. And he was—again—caught.

Kronos woke under the care of William and Joan Brugge, who own an apothecary and provide medicinals. They secret him away and she cares for him at the rising consternation of her husband.

While I might not be fully invested in Kronos as a main character, who could alternate between being malevolently and surprisingly benign philosophically about his dwarfism to grinning lasciviously about women, there were a number of support characters who were well developed and engaging. Joan is an amazing example of those who benevolently heal and would do no harm, while her husband provided the treacherous and traitorous antagonist.

I was reminded again that the author writes so well in the Tudor language that you are instantly transported back to the Renaissance. Loved the patois and my instant cell phone access to the words’ meaning. I always enjoy learning about natural medicinals and in this specific case, even deeper into the herbs divided by their ruling planet. I’m aware there are specific times for planting and harvesting, but was unaware it went even deeper than that.

I would happily recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, specifically medieval, and survival of an epoch of deceit, abuse, violence, and debauched circumstances. It was also a period of huge upheaval in the division of church and state.

Not my first experience with this author, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Boys of London, and I’ll always welcome a new ARC. I received this advance review copy from the author with no expectation of a review. The thoughts expressed freely here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction, Medieval Historical Fiction
Publisher: Red Puddle Print
Publication Date: April 14, 2026 – HAPPY RELEASE DAY!

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Mary Lawrence is the author of the Bianca Goddard Mysteries. Set in Tudor London in the final years of Henry VIII’s reign, Book I, THE ALCHEMIST’S DAUGHTER is a #1 best-selling historical mystery on Amazon, and was named by Suspense Magazine a “best historical mystery” in 2015. Book 2, DEATH of an ALCHEMIST released in 2016 and Book 3, DEATH AT ST. VEDAST released in January, 2017. THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS (May 2019), won a second “Best Of 2019” by Suspense Magazine. THE LOST BOYS OF LONDON released May 2020.

Mary grew up in Indiana and lives in Maine. After a career in cytotechnology, she turned to farming. She is an avid reader of historical fiction and nonfiction and concentrates on Tudor/Elizabethan history. Her articles have appeared in several publications most notably, The Daily Beast.

Visit her at www.marylawrencebooks.com

Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/marylawrence… twitter at mel59lawrence.

Iron Curtain by Russ Stone #BookReview #MilitaryThrillers #NetGalley

Travis Delta Thrillers Book 5

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

The most dangerous man in America just became its only hope.

Travis Delta is the U.S. government’s most lethal black-ops operative—until an Air Force missile destroys his Alaskan cabin and he finds himself at the top of a kill list issued by the very country he has fought so hard to protect.

To survive, Delta must trek through forty miles of frozen wilderness while his own military hunts him down. And he is truly alone, because the order to eliminate him has come straight from the Oval Office.

President Arlan Patterson has been compromised by the Russians. To survive politically, he must comply with orders from Russian President Yuri Morozov. And Morozov wants Delta dead.

Pursued by the world’s most powerful military, Delta realizes that running isn’t enough. Despite the overwhelming odds, he’s going to have to take the fight to his enemies. To save himself—and his country—he’ll have to assassinate Morozov.

From the frozen Alaskan wastes to an elite Russian ski resort, Iron Curtain is a relentless thriller about one man’s fight to end a conspiracy that stretches all the way to the highest office in the land.

His Review:

International relations can be very dangerous to everybody, particularly the leaders. An American President is invited to Russia to spend a weekend in Sochi, skiing with the Russian Premier. The president’s wife hates skiing and Russia, so he must go alone. What could go wrong?

Many Russian women are absolutely beautiful, particularly when they are young. The chance to enjoy carefree nights away from the prying eyes of the media is too great and so our President decides to enjoy a little furlough from his wife and all of the governmental attaches that go along with his trips.

The people in our government who are opposed to his high-handed policies seem to be winding up missing. A special encampment has been set up for them in the desert of New Mexico. He is trying to decide whether he should simply dispatch them or keep them isolated while he changes the constitution. His first move will be to simply declare a national emergency and then have a small group of his cronies allow him to have his way with the country.

Travis Delta sees the quandary that the US President is facing. His attempts to rewrite the constitution would effectively wipe out all civil liberties and the America as he currently sees it. The President is nothing more than a puppet for a very corrupt Premier. His life depends upon stopping the President and returning our government to three separate and distinct units. The Executive, Judicial, and Legislative! But Travis has been marked for extinction by both leaders.

This book follows the fears of many in our country who watch the President bypass the Constitution and utilize the military for his own purposes. The world quakes as these two put their heads together and decide how a new global government will operate. Read and enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: War & Military Action Fiction, Terrorism Thrillers, Military Thrillers
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Publication Date: March 15, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK

The Author: Russ Stone is the author of thirty-one novels, including those written as R.H. Johnson. The Travis Delta thriller series reflects his military, private-sector, and consulting background, with particular emphasis on counterterrorism and cybersecurity. Each of the Travis Delta thrillers addresses real-world threats and relies heavily on intensive research to give the narrative a stamp of authenticity.

He lives in Princeton Junction, New Jersey.

The Siege of Jadotville – Netflix Movie – #waraction – #readingirelandmonth25

Introduction

I am reviewing this movie for Reading Ireland Month. It is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. Please check out her page for suggestions on reading, audiobooks, or music on her spotify list and use the hashtags #readingirelandmonth26 or #begorrathon.

The Movie

According to Google, the movie was first a book detailing the 1961 battle called Seige at Jadotville: The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle. It was written by Declan Power, an Irish security analyst published in 2005. This Netflix film was released in 2016. There are other books on the battle detailing the 157 UN Irish peacekeepers who were grossly outnumbered in the skirmish in the Congo.

My Thoughts

Although the film is a bit slow getting into the story, the storyline becomes quite engaging and the movie well acted. Not exactly the Alamo of Ireland, this is the account of the UN Irish peacekeeping forces facing a vastly outnumbered force (20-1) who not only managed to hold on while suffering no casualties against the Katangese forces (in reality, a mix of hardened European mercenaries with untested locals), but inflicting several hundred casualties on the opposing forces as well as more than one thousand wounded.

While not entirely historically accurate, the movie conveys the “last stand” spirit of the Irish. They defended their position (possibly five days according to internet accounts) until they ran out of ammunition and water, which resulted in surrender and imprisonment until a negotiated prisoner exchange resulted in their release, where they suffered the derisive term “Jadotville Jacks.”

The acting is gritty, hard-bitten, and filled with tension. Cast members included Jamie Dornan, Guillaume Canet, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Jason O’Mara, among many others better known to the Northern European theatre. Jamie Dornan as Commandant Pat Quinlan did an Academy-level job of conveying the brutality, desperation, and power of his position and the decisions he made under terrifying and desperate conditions. It’s the heroics of men plunged into circumstances no one should or could prepare for.

Filmed on locations in South Africa (north of Johannesburg) and Ireland, an honest representation of the atmospherics of the Congo, the look and feel of the battle.

Released by Netflix in 2016 – currently streaming

Genres: Irish, Military Movies, Drama, Movies based on books, movies based on real life…

Watched with the CE, we both enjoyed this one. The CE, being a veteran, enjoys most military movies and we both celebrate St Patrick’s Day, my grandfather being from County Cork and his grandmother from Dublin.

Rosepoint Recommended-5 Stars

There is plenty of action, great acting, tension, emotions, and a lovely epilogue at the end. Yes, the men finally get recognition of their efforts, if too late for some. And, movies based on true stories are history come alive, the best. If you haven’t viewed the film, I heartily recommend it. If you have, I’d love to know if you agree with my sentiments.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Background intro banner above courtesy Military Archives, color pics courtesy Facebook, movie camera courtesy Freepik

The Hunted by Steven Max Russo #BookReview #militarythrillers

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Ophelia Harris, a former CIA analyst who went to work for a private intelligence and security firm working in Afghanistan, has been trying hard to stay under the radar.

What seems like a lifetime ago and a world away, she disappeared from the sandbox after a raid on an insurgent money laundering operation went terribly wrong. Every operator on the team was killed save one.

Ophelia escaped. And she got away with two suitcases filled with cash.

Gerhard Mueller runs Grendel Security Group and is Ophelia’s former employer. He knows a traitor set up the ambush that killed his team and he believes he knows who that traitor is.

He wants Harris found – and he wants her dead.

Austin Medford, a former Army Ranger, is sipping a beer at an airport lounge when he runs into a woman he believes he’s seen before during his deployment overseas. A woman running from trouble.

Soon Harris and Medford find themselves being brutally hunted by forces known and unknown trying to take them off the board.

The rules of the game are simple – run, fight, or die.

His Review:

The job of a paid killer for the government has many drawbacks. One is that when you have completed your mission you are expendable.

Ophelia Harris worked in Afghanistan as an interrogator for the Central Intelligence Agency and killed one of the people she was interrogating to establish her validity. Refuse to talk and you would take all of your secrets to the grave. Once our involvement in country was completed there was a national vendetta against her.

Her boss realized that what she was doing was illegal and against US policy and punishable with death or life in prison. She was acting under his orders and he would attempt to eliminate her and do away with any threat to him. Thus’ this story illuminates the down side of working for clandestine government agencies. She moved away and established a new life after her contract with the agency was completed.

Having someone who can testify to the ruthlessness of these agencies is not in our government’s best interests. Her handler engages some of his best operatives to eliminate the threat she poses to his agency and the US government. This story will educate the reader to the underside of government service. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Well developed characters and well plotted that is rooted in suspense and builds into thriller. Eye-opening and hard to put down. Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Military Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
ASIN: B0GDMHNDYM
Print Length: 2342 pages
Publication Date: January 1, 2026
Source: Author