Book Review- Ralph Compton- The Western Trail

Ralph Compton- The Western Trail (St. Martin’s Press 1992) 3.5 Stars

After driving a large herd of cattle into the Sweetwater Valley in Wyoming they decide to set up a ranch. First they must fight a railroad owner who does not want them to stay. The reasons behind this man’s animosity are unknown and when they find out the reason it will blow the top off of the Sweetwater Valley. The railroad baron does not intend for them to find out why he wants them gone and he is willing to have his hired guns kill to keep his secret. McCaleb and his bunch do not intend to leave and with the assistance of a tribe of Shoshoni and Buffalo Bill Cody they are going to stay and fight. IN the end it will be the last group standing takes the land.

It took me a little longer to get into The Western Trail than it did for The Goodnight Trail, when I did get into it though it did not fail to excite. It was a great all around western with many action scenes and tough men and women fighting to survive harsh conditions. The characters were wonderfully crafted by Compton and jumped off of every page. I also liked how once again Compton managed to throw in some well-known names from the era, like Buffalo Bill Cody and Grant. At times some of the scenes got to be a little repetitive through the course of the book, and were almost identical to the previous books scenes, only with some different characters and a change in venue. I get the feeling that after a while this series may get to be the same and may have the risk of becoming mundane. I hope that this is not the case, but that is my suspicion.

I recommend The Western Trail to western enthusiasts and Compton fans.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Harlan Coben- Darkest Fear

Harlan Coben- Darkest Fear (Dell Publishing 2001) 4 Stars

Myron Bolitar is shocked when an ex-girlfriend pays him a visit, only to announce that he is a father and has been for many years. Now his son is in need of a bone marrow transplant and the donor has suddenly disappeared. Is he really a father or is she just telling him that in the hopes that he will investigate and save her son? Either way he intends to find out the truth behind the donor’s disappearance. Suddenly he finds himself in the middle of a very dangerous mess. He seems to be worrying a wealthy family with secrets to hide, upsetting an FBI investigation, and digging up information about a ruthless kidnapper. Guess it’s time to bring in Win to help with his investigation.

I have to say that Darkest Fear started out a little bit slow, although I knew that with it being Harlan Coben, he would crank it up a few notches as I got deeper. It was Myron’s wonderfully amusing sarcasm that kept me interested. That and the fact that Coben seems to be able to create some of the most amazing characters that jump off of every page. Myron Bolitar’s witty sarcasm never fails to amuse and in this novel we get to see a different side of Myron, a side that I am not sure I liked, but it did make him seem just a little bit more human. Coben is always able to create plots that grip the reader and hold them in suspense for the majority of the thriller and he certainly did not fail to achieve this in Darkest Fear. The plot was weaving back and forth so much that the reader will be kept on their toes and it is strengthened by the amazingly intricate storyline of Myron’s past where we find out about a childhood rivalry and his not so smart decision to sleep with his rival’s fiancé. This indiscretion ultimately caused the ruin of his basketball career, something which he must face in this book.

I recommend Darkest Fear to Coben fans and those who love a good thriller.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Tess Gerritsen- Vanish

Tess Gerritsen- Vanish (Ballantine Books 2006) 4 Stars

Boston medical examiner Maura Isles is almost finished a day like every other, when suddenly her life changes in one moment. Hearing banging on the door to a cooler in the morgue she opens it to find that the Jane Doe, who had been brought in earlier in the day, was not indeed dead. After rushing the woman to the hospital she is shocked when the woman calmly takes control of the hospital and holds several people hostage, including a pregnant policewoman, Jane Rizzoli, whose husband, Gabriel Dean, just happens to work for the FBI. Now Maura must work with Gabriel to hunt down the facts that will lead them to an end that no one could have imagined.

Vanish was a great thriller. It kept the reader in suspense, so that they never really knew what would happen next. It had twist after twist which could only happen after the protagonists located certain individuals who had important details. Just when you think it couldn’t get anymore intense it does. I will warn all the readers ahead of time, this is not a novel for the weak stomached. It has several gruesome rape scenes which fit into the plot, so be forewarned before picking up Vanish, as you will get no indication from the back of the book. The case details in this one were hard for even me to stomach, although I did enjoy most of the book. The characters were quite interesting. It was intriguing to see how their minds were working and how shocked they were when something turned up that they did not expect, they definitely acted like real people would. One thing I would have liked to see improved upon was the setting descriptions; at times I found them to be quite vague.

I recommend Vanish to strong stomached thriller readers and Tess Gerritsen fans.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Ray Hogan- The Peace Keeper

Ray Hogan- The Peace Keeper (Doubleday 1978) 3.5 Stars

Luke Brazil, ex-bounty hunter, ex-lawman, has been asked by the town of Moriah for his help. Shocked by the sudden change of feelings towards him, considering that they had hated him right up until that moment, he accepts the job. What he really wants is to settle down on his ranch and marry Jenny Lockwood, but now he must face a group of cow hands that are tearing Moriah apart. One side wants the cow hands to be expelled from town; the other wants them to be allowed. The battle will be determined by a vote, but to make sure the vote is fair and that the town will survive the vote, Luke Brazil must take up his gun and use his marshal’s star wisely.

The Peace Keeper grabbed me early on and would not let up until the very last chapter. I was impressed by the fast-moving storyline. It was scene after scene of action. The plot was not overly deep, but it worked well with this western. The setting was very well-created on Hogan’s part. He did a good job of putting the reader into the western era. The characters could have been a little deeper as I only felt that we really got to know Luke Brazil, the main character. I also found that the women seemed fairly weak and flaky in this novel, just like in the last one I read by him. Although in The Peace Keeper the reader only sees any women in a couple of chapters, so it did not really take away from the book too much. I did feel that this book was a good solid western, something I would expect when I picked up a western, no big surprises, but an enjoyable read.

I recommend The Peace Keeper to western readers.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Hugh Pentecost- Murder Goes Round and Round

Hugh Pentecost- Murder Goes Round and Round (Dodd, Mead & Company 1988) 3.5 Stars

As the world renowned singing impersonator Toby March visits New York the hype is high. As morning comes his room is found to be wrecked and blood covers the floor, but there is no sign of Toby March. Frank Pasqua, his manager has also disappeared. A joint investigation takes shape as the police, FBI, and hotel security hunt for clues that will help them locate the missing guests and the dead body. The hotel security team believes one thing, while the police/FBI believes something complete different, the question is who is right? Before the answer can be found Pierre Chambrun, the hotel manager is the victim of an attempted murder.

Murder Goes Round and Round was a pretty good classic mystery. Clues had to be dug up and things weren’t always what you would imagine, although there really weren’t too many major twists. None of the characters were really described or introduced in any depth, and yet I still found that I knew them. I still would have liked to see more about the characters. I did not particularly appreciate the fact that the hotel security team never seemed to be proved wrong, they made a guess and it seemed to be correct, investigators usually have many wrong guesses before coming to a correct one. I did find that the actual story was well-written and enjoyed reading the novel. The plot was not deep, but was enough to keep the reader interested. I would also have liked to have seen a little bit more come from the introduction, as it doesn’t really grip the reader. The ending however was well-done on the part of the author.

I recommend Murder Goes Round and Round to mystery readers.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloqentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Ray Hogan- Solitude’s Lawman

Ray Hogan- Solitude’s Lawman (Doubleday 1988) 2.75 Stars

Cole Dagget thought that he had finally caught a break in his life. With his eight hundred dollars he was going to start the life he had always dreamed of, which included a horse trading business and finally marrying his fiancé. A stop at a small-town bank puts an end to all of that. The bank is robbed and he loses his money, but he does not intend to let it go at that. Chasing after the robbers ahead of the posse he wants to catch the robbers and get his money back. The posse assumes that he is part of the robbery and wants to catch him along with the others. Now he not only must catch the robbers, and save a kidnapped girl, but he must face a town who wants him dead.

The introduction was a good one; it grabbed the reader’s attention and made them want to read more. Sadly that feeling only lasted until the halfway mark. Instead I began to feel frustrated with the stupidity of everyone involved. Nobody seemed able to think for themselves except Cole Dagget and one other man. If humanity was as dumb/ naïve as the characters in this novel we never would have gotten past the Stone Age. The plot was not overly great, but it wasn’t terrible either, it was about average. I do love to read of this time period (the old west) and so I was kind of hoping for a little bit more from this author. I also did not like how the girl just kind of shut up when if she had spoke up it all would have been over, especially since she wasn’t even in immediate danger at the time, it made her seem pathetic, weak, and flaky, when many of those western women would had to of been tough as nails to survive. As you can tell, overall I did not really enjoy this western as a result I do not recommend it.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Larry V. Williams- Cock of the Walk: The Toughest Man on the River

Larry V. Williams- Cock of the Walk: The Toughest Man on the River (Strategic Book Publishing 2009) 3.25 Stars

Anthony is a poor young lad growing up in 1770 along the Mississippi River. He wishes to be the cock of the walk, a position currently held by Captain Davis, who will become his mentor. As he takes off to be at sea he finds himself on the ultimate high seas adventure, fighting pirates and scoundrels. His adventures will take him across many oceans to visit many foreign lands. Captain Davis becomes his best friend and will teach Anthony everything he knows. Little does Anthony realize that too much adventure can be dangerous, it can even cost you your life.

The main characters of the Cock of the Walk, Anthony and Captain Davis, were very interesting. Anthony was a tough young boy who wanted nothing more than to have other people’s respect, and he figured that the sword was the only way to earn that respect, only to learn throughout the book that this was not the case. Captain Davis already had the respect of everyone around him and he had earned it through his sword and trading exploits, yet we see him learn that there is much more to life than fighting and trading. The time period was a very intriguing time with lots of room for adventure and a lot of chances for the reader’s mind to paint beautiful pictures. The storyline was a good one although at times I think it could have been presented differently. I also found that the main plot of the book did not actually begin until a good portion of the way in, the rest was still interesting I’m just used to it beginning quicker. I also noticed that the manner of the presentation at times was very abrupt and matter-of-fact, which I think could have been done a little better. I noticed a lot of grammar/punctuation mistakes throughout the book as well, some fit in to the speech, but most did not; this is something the publisher’s editor should have noticed.

Overall I did enjoy Cock of the Walk: The Toughest Man on the River and I would recommend it to those who like adventure and sailing. Larry, thank you for the chance to review your novel.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Robert Crais- Hostage

Robert Crais- Hostage (Ballantine Books 2005) 3.25 Stars

After a convenience-store robbery goes wrong, the clerk is dead and the police are chasing down three men. The criminals run to a quiet suburban area of Los Angeles and break into the home of a man living with his two kids. Holding the family hostage the three hoped to escape the police and ultimately prison. Jeff Talley is the Chief of Police and he used to be a hostage negotiator for the LAPD SWAT. Now he must try to reason with these three criminals not knowing that the house holds some very dangerous secrets for some very dangerous men. These men will do anything to keep the secrets from surfacing, even if it means holding Talley’s family hostage to get what they want.

You may recognize the name of this book from the movie, Hostage, with Bruce Willis. I think that this book was a better movie than a book. I say that because movies are designed to switch perspectives constantly, where as I find that when books do that it can be confusing and annoying, such was the case in this book. I did find that Hostage was very gripping though. The reader is in suspense, not knowing what is going to happen next, or how Talley will react to the situations that are thrown his way. Talley is a tough, hard-nosed man, but the reader finds out why he is this way and comes to understand that his gruffness is just an outer shell. The prologue was background knowledge for the reader to help understand what made Talley the way he was, which is the best way to do this. I did find that in a couple of scenes I was questioning if it would have turned out the way it did, considering it just seemed a little bit too convenient.

I recommend Hostage to Robert Crais fans.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Gordon Korman- Island: Shipwreck

Gordon Korman- Island: Shipwreck (Scholastic 2001) 3.5 Stars

Six kids are placed on a boat that they have no desire to be on, whether to avoid going to jail, for fighting too much, or for watching too much T.V. Now they must work harder than they have ever worked and learn to love these strangers who are now their shipmates. Trapped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean a huge storm strikes and they must fight to stay afloat. Ultimately for them it is now all about surviving the storm and it’s after effects.

I liked the way Korman introduced Shipwreck and ultimately the whole Island series. It was teaching the reader about sailing to prepare them for what they are about to read, but he does it at the same time as a couple of the characters are learning. The whole read is a sailing-learning experience for children and includes some good life lessons. The kids all manage to stay within their age bracket and yet they still are full of depth. The jokes that they make at the First Mate’s expense is typical of kids their age. I was looking for a little bit more plot to the book, but I guess he has a whole series to develop the plot. The overall storyline was an interesting one and the ending leaves the reader with enough questions to want to read more of the series. Korman seemed to really know what he was talking about in Shipwreck so either he knew the information before, or he did enough research to understand all about sailing.

I recommend Shipwreck to young readers who like adventure.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Lisa Jackson- Deep Freeze

Lisa Jackson- Deep Freeze (Zebra 2005) 3.25 Stars

Jenna Hughes is a beautiful actress on the top of her game. After disaster strikes the set of film, White Out, her sister is killed. To get away from the fame and her sister’s memory she runs to a farm in secluded Iowa. Suddenly her life thrown into turmoil again as she discovers that she is the target of a psychopath, who wants nothing more than to be with her, even is she has to die to make it happen. Women begin to disappear and die all around her and there is nothing she can do to stop it. Meanwhile Sheriff Carter is trying to solve the case and save Jenna from the murderer.

I found Deep Freeze to be alright. The plot and storyline were strong and well-developed. It was fairly intriguing, although at times I did get a little bit bored. The beginning kind of grabs your attention and then there is a bit about the case only to drop off for awhile. The ending was unpredictable, which is great to see from an author. I also liked the depth of the main characters, although I would have liked to learn a bit more about the Sheriff. The fact that everyone seemed to have a crush on Jenna Hughes was a little bit too much for me though as it was kind of sickening. Overall though I was kind of expecting a little bit more, maybe it was the fact that her books come so highly recommended. This book seems to be more for a female audience than a male one.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

www.eloquentbooks.com/kidsonacase.html

Book Review- Milam McGraw Propst- The Adventures of Ociee Nash Series

Milam McGraw Propst- The Adventures of Ociee Nash Series (Belle Bridge Books 2009) 3.75 Stars

The first book in the series, A Flower Blooms on Charlotte Street, tells the tale of little Ociee Nash and her family living on a farm in Mississippi. Her mother passed away from the measles epidemic the previous year and the family must deal with the pain and sorrow of the loss. Meanwhile her father is trying to raise her and her two brothers, Ben (the younger brother), and Fred (the older brother), while keeping the farm running. In the hopes of helping her become a lady, he sends Ociee off to his sister’s place in North Carolina. Ociee is sad at first, but is quick to make friends and soon comes to enjoy living at her Aunt Mamie’s. A tender start to the series.

The second book, Ociee On Her Own, starts off where the first one left off. Ociee is still living with her aunt and they are preparing to celebrate the turn of the century. Little does she realize that another kind of celebration is about to happen too. When she gets a letter from her brother Fred she finds out that he is about to get married to Rebecca and so he is coming home for the wedding. Now she must leave her aunt’s to go to the wedding. As excited as she is there is mixed feelings about it as her father has lost thye farm and now works at a store in town. Her brother Ben has grown and their relationship needs some work to get back to where it was before she left. By the end of this book she has finally come to grips with her mother’s passing and has made peace with her mother’s memory.

The third book, The Further Adventures of Ociee Nash, finds Ociee when she is eleven-years-old, so a whole year seems to have passed. Although time has passed her brother Ben is still able to coax her into jumping off of a moving train.She is adjusting to the idea of her brother Fred being married, and now she finds out that her Aunt Mamie is marrying George in Asheville. Meanwhile her father gets a job in Tennessee and so he uproots the family to move to Memphis, which just happens to be where Fred is living. Now the family seems to be together again. Ociee’s curiosity and personality leads to her making new friend’s, even befriending a lady whom everyone else seems to either be afraid of, or just ignores.

The Adventures of Ociee Nash is a wonderful story for children of all ages to read. It is very similar to Anne of Green Gables, and yet has its own unique flare to it. The Nash family is full of life, adventure, and value. They are all very deep characters and Ociee is a little girl you cannot help but love. The story has many lessons involved in it and yet it does not seem to be preaching them to the children. The storyline is great and I love the adventures/situations Ociee finds herself in and how she manages to make the best of her situations/troubles. This beautiful tale tells of the Southern states in a time of change in the turn of the century as the 1900s take shape. The plot was not a deep or complicated one, but it was enough that I think young girls and some young guys will enjoy reading it. The writing style was also well done and I think young readers will appreciate Propst’s style.

I recommend this series to young girls and boys.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Michael Connelly- 9 Dragons

Michael Connelly- 9 Dragons (Little, Brown and Company 2009) 5 Stars

Harry Bosch is sent to investigate what appears to be a routine robbery gone wrong, when he discovers that he has met the victim in one of his previous cases. Looking into the matter he determines that it was not a robbery, and it certainly was not routine. The more he digs the more tangled the weaving web becomes. After discovering evidence leading to the Hong Kong Triads the case steps up a notch on the danger meter. Suddenly his life is thrown into turmoil. His daughter goes missing and a video is sent to him from her phone, now he is not only investigating a murder, but he must fight to get his daughter back and fight he will. Taking the first flight to Hong Kong he cuts a deadly swath across Hong Kong all in the hopes of getting his daughter back safely, in a manner the Triads can understand despite the language barrier. The world is about to find out just how tough and deadly Harry Bosch can be.

Wow! Yes 9 Dragons is as good as it sounds. This was probably my favourite in the Harry Bosch series yet. We see Bosch’s soft side as well as his brutally tough side. I was impressed by just how deep the characters were. I loved the fact that 9 Dragons took Bosch across the globe into a world completely unknown to him as it gave the readers a chance to see how Harry Bosch handled strange situations and foreign language barriers. We also get to see how he deals with his many mistakes. The setting was described wonderfully, even when in some of the raunchiest areas of Hong Kong. Twist after twist keeps this storyline fast-paced and works to run your mind in circles. Just when you think you have everything figured out Connelly flips the case upside down, and Bosch doesn’t just magically figure out the answers, he has to work to the point of insanity to find any ounce of truth/evidence. It was a wonderfully created plot and I look forward to seeing more from Connelly.

I recommend 9 Dragons to Connelly fans and anyone who enjoys mysteries/thrillers.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/