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Tag: thriller books
The Bucktown Babies by Janine Pestel
This isn’t a genre that I normally read, but I enjoyed Pestel’s book. I liked her mixture of mystery, suspense, and humor. I felt that it was a bit short, but this is the first book in the series, so I suppose that makes up for it. It’s a quick read that doesn’t really lag at any point. I give it four stars and will definitely read the sequel.
The Lights Will Never Fade, Available On The Kindle
Eighteen-year-old Peyton Hamilton is a typical Midwest girl – until the Shadow helps her escape the most gruesome murder that the small town of Jenks, Oklahoma has ever seen.
Soon after, she returns home only to find the rest of her family dead.
Haunted by the Shadow ever since, Peyton is not the only one this supernatural being has chosen – and now, no one is safe from its wrath. Escaping to live with her only living relative, Peyton discovers that they both have dark secrets that cannot remain buried.
Secrets which fuel the Shadow’s vengeance.
In the end, can Peyton prevent any more bloodshed, or is there no stopping this supernatural nightmare?
Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter
Being from Georgia, I understand that some of the accents and stereotypes are accurate in this book. With that being said, parts of it felt forced and played into the dumb southerner cliché that is a bit annoying. Slaughter does a nice job of pacing the mystery and introducing viable suspects. I found myself blaming one character and then shifting to another, and I enjoyed the ending. Overall, it was good, not great, but definitely worth a read.
My Sister’s Bones, by Nuala Ellwood
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like it came up short in a few areas. It seemed as if Ellwood tried to make it a psychological thriller as well as a novel on the effects of PTSD. I’m not saying that can’t be done, but I don’t think either were fully accomplished. The ending actually held a nice twist, so it wasn’t exactly expected. I gave it 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4.
The Girl On The Train, by Paula Hawkins
After reading “Into The Water,” this was a breath of fresh air. I’m always nervous when a book is hyped so much, but Hawkins delivered just the right amount of suspense and character development. I won’t nitpick the aspects I didn’t enjoy, but I rounded up from 4.5 stars. See kept my attention the entire time, and she kept me guessing as to who the true “bad guy” was. I wish the ending had played out differently, but here I am complaining again.
The Cutting (McCabe & Savage), by James Hayman
While I enjoyed this book overall, I found it lacking in a bit of character depth. Also, the cussing and sex scenes seemed somewhat forced and unnecessary to me. I don’t mind timely language in a novel, but the majority of the “bad” language in this one came off as inauthentic. Still, the story kept my attention, and it was a decent mystery/thriller. I give it 3.5 stars and recommend it if you don’t mind quite a bit of language.
Meet The Author, C. K. Phillips
Enjoy getting to know, C. K. Phillips:
Thank you for joining me today. Tell us in three words how you would best describe your writing.
Creative
Suspenseful
Believable
Your book, The Survival Initiative, was released in June, 2017. Share a passage that you’d like for us to enjoy.
We stepped up our pace and were almost sprinting. We turned a corner and were stunned by the scene in front of us. Miami Police blocked the roads. Behind them, we could see heavy dark smoke and flames shooting into the sky. It was bedlam and people were running everywhere. The sounds of sirens mingled with the panicked screams of people scrambling away from devastation that just a short time ago had been a modern mall. Looking closer, we saw emergency personnel carrying stretchers to waiting ambulances, which, as soon as were filled, left the scene with sirens blazing. We heard the thump, thump, thump of numerous news helicopters circling overhead.
You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author, but can never write again, or write forever, but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?
Best selling author
If you could live on a college campus and never leave, or live in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?
Small town and travel
Okay, how about in an amusement park or in an airport?
Amusement Park
And how about Australia or Scotland?
Australia
Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?
Hootie & the Blowfish
Are there any good bands out there today that we’ll talk about in 50 years?
Dave Matthews Band
And what about your favorite comedy on TV (My favorite is still The Office)?
Last Man Standing
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
Yes. Research for a 4th novel un-named as of now.
Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?
Clive Cussler: As an unknown indie author from a small town, what steps would you recommend I take in order to get reviews and increase recognition?
Lightning round:
Ocean or mountains? Ocean
Yogurt or ice cream? Ice Cream
M&M’s or Skittles? M&M’s
Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert? Stephen Colbert
Happy or sad ending to a novel? Happy
Beer or wine? Wine
Flying or driving? Driving
Hemingway or Twain? Twain
You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you, as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?
Food & water; My wife Cindi and grandson Tyler.
You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him/her over to your house or meet at their place of royalty?
I would like to sit down with Leonardo da Vinci to discuss all his scientific concepts that were so far ahead of his time. I would want to go to his place to view all his drawings/concepts.
You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be?
That my wife would regain good health.
K. Phillips is a (mostly) retired educator who is an avid reader. COMES THE AWAKENING was his first novel and introduced the series featuring Phil and Cyndi Kent along with retired special forces agent Bill Lander. Phillips’ second book in the Kents/Lander series was ECHOES OF SKELETONS PAST. He has now completed the third in the series: THE SURVIVAL INITIATIVE. Although he implies no comparison to them, he points to Cussler, Baldacci, Brown, and Grisham as some who have inspired him to write. He lives with his wife in Southeast Tennessee and welcomes your comments here, C. K. Phillips Email.
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The Body Reader, by Anne Frasier
This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Frasier kept my interest, and she did have unique twists throughout. The story overall, however, was simply good, not great. It’s definitely worth the read, but somewhat predictable at times. I’d give it slightly under 4 stars as I would have liked to know more from the lead character’s kidnapping, rather than her life afterwards.
Meet The Author, Chassis Albuquerque
Enjoy getting to know, Chassis Albuquerque (like the body of a car, and the place in New Mexico):
Thank you for joining me today. Tell us in three words how you would best describe your writing.
Humorous speculative fiction
Your book, “The Sundial Salesman” was released in November 16, 2016 Share a passage that you’d like for us to enjoy.
The phone rang. It kept ringing but I didn’t pick up, picking up the phone so soon now would be like an atheist admitting God existed. And that’s the last thing you want to do, admit anything – more shrewd advice from my father, January Johnson, my father who liked everything to be precise but with a degree of flexibility varying from circumstance to circumstance depending on how guilty he may be.
“Just remember, all that maths and geographic stuff’s a bunch of shit, the shortest distance between any two points is always by dishonesty – always,” he’d tell me. Then he’d disappeared – where’d he gone that time? Jail. I’d just assumed that’s where all father’s went.
You’ve been presented with the opportunity to be a best-selling author, but can never write again, or write forever, but never have a bestseller. Which scenario sounds more tempting?
Option 2 for me, my goals are very small and writing is such an important part of who I am: A very minor writing of very minor standing.
If you could live on a college campus and never leave, or live in a small town but be able to travel, which one would you choose?
Small town and travel.
Okay, how about in an amusement park or in an airport?
Hmm, very interesting. Both have appeal, however, the airport is a way out, maybe see some other amusement parks?
And how about Australia or Scotland?
Scotland. Our families would not survive the trip to Australia to see there one and only grandchild.
Who is your favorite 90’s band (I’m thinking Counting Crows, Blink 182, Hootie & the Blowfish)?
Yeah! Counting Crows for sure, Nirvana, Pearl Jam – this is a long, long list, man…
Are there any good bands out there today that we’ll talk about in 50 years?
Hmm, very tough question – I think because of budget constraints I’d say: Kings of Leon, James Bay, Stereophonics – oh, and The Black Keys, The White Stripes?
And what about your favorite comedy on TV (My favorite is still The Office)?
Easy: Seinfeld, The Office (British version please), Fawlty Towers, Extras
Is there anything you’re currently working on?
Currently I’m about to finish my fourth book – a take on the Detective genre, Detective Wolffe Gunstormer’s called in for tough, unusual cases (preventing communists from taking over the world with a deadly wormhole machine but also: Being commissioned to find the President’s golf ball, providing evidence to the Church God exists for). Full of one-liners and popular with the ladies, his motto is: The best way to get to the bottom of anything is always by Force. Or bribery. Whichever’s easiest.
Who is your favorite author and if you could ask him/her one question, what would it be?
Knut Hamsun. He really made me aware for the first time about “voice” and his was very strong. Don’t forget, he was writing in the late 1880’s – 1950’s, very advanced, modern writing for back then. Unfortunately, he was – apparently – a Nazi sympathizer.
My question: “How could you, man?” because he was such a great writer who influenced people like Hunter S. Thompson, Charles Bukowski, the Beatnik guys and so on.
Lightning round:
Ocean or mountains? Mountains
Yogurt or ice cream? Ice cream
M&M’s or Skittles? Neither
Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert? Who???
Happy or sad ending to a novel? Both
Beer or wine? Neither
Flying or driving? Driving
Hemingway or Twain? Twain
You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take two things with you, as well as two people. What and who are you bringing?
Laptop with solar power gear, and my very supportive wife, and our little baby girl.
You’re able to sit down with any leader in world history. Who would you choose, what would you talk about, and would you rather have him/her over to your house or meet at their place of royalty?
Winston Churchill – pompous sounding but he delivered.
Have to be our place.
You can wish for one thing and one thing only, not world peace and no more wishes. What’s it gonna be?
I wish we were here:
Apart from referring to himself in the 3rd person, Chassis Albuquerque suffered from a speech defect as a child – when he spoke, he continuously lied, and to counter this habit, was given a typewriter by his parents, and began to write. Often asked where his creative process comes from, well, as with most things these days, it’s China. Quite religious about writing, he always writes facing south, usually toward Spain…
Jackson Paul Baer 