James Patterson and Maxine Paetro- 7th Heaven

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro- 7th Heaven (Little, Brown and Company 2008) 4 Stars

When the governor’s son goes missing without a trace and months later a tip comes in regarding his disappearance/death, Boxer is brought in on the case. Yuki is responsible for the trial section and together they must figure out the truth from the lies. Meanwhile someone is burning up the rich of San Francisco and it is getting closer and closer to home for Lindsay Boxer as she tries to solve a case with few leads.

The introduction was really good, it grabbed my attention immediately. It was a pretty intense read; quick like all Patterson novels. It was a good plot, but I felt like he was trying a little hard at times. The characters were decent, but could have used a little more depth. I do find myself wishing that he would focus more on Lindsay, instead of dividing attention between her and Yuki’s trials. The ending was good as well, but I did find myself questioning the likelihood of the way it played out. I would explain further, but that would be a spoiler. Overall it was a good read.

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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Daniel Silva- The English Assassin

Daniel Silva- The English Assassin (Signet Books 2003) 3.25 Stars

Former Israeli spy, now turned art restorer, Gabriel Allon is being tossed back into a past he left behind. In Zurich, Switzerland he is called to restore a painting for a rich banker only to discover the banker dead. Framed for the murder he must dig through old Nazi history and Switzerland’s past connections to the old regime. Going against him is the English Assassin, someone he trained.

The introduction was pretty good. It got my attention and made me want to read more. The intensity did drop off and only came up at a couple of points. The plot was decent, but I found it to be lacking something, I am not sure what, but something. The characters were okay, but I felt that they were lacking a certain depth, with the exception of the main character, which was very well created. The setting was interesting, as it went to several tourist hot spots and was cool to read about. It had some good twists, but not all of them made complete sense to me as to why they would have happened the way they did. I also found the ending slightly disappointing. Overall it was a good one time read.

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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Ridley Pearson- The Body of David Hayes

Ridley Pearson- The Body of David Hayes (Hyperion 2004) 3.25 Stars

When Liz’s old love affair comes back to haunt her, Lou Boldt is there to investigate. Their family must deal with their mistakes and try to solve it in a way that is not going to destroy them. Her ex-lover stole seventeen million dollars from an account he did not know whom it belonged to. Now the Russian Mafioso is out to get revenge and they do not care who gets in the way.

The book started out interesting, could have been better, but wasn’t bad. The plot was okay as well, but was kind of weak in some areas. The twists were not really great and could have been a lot more shocking. The characters were well done and were a redeeming quality in this book. They play off of each other well. I did find myself wishing that it could have gripped me better in parts, but overall it was not a bad book.

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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- Kirk Mitchell- Fredericksburg

Kirk Mitchell- Fredericksburg (ibooks 2003) 3.5 Stars

This book covers the pre-battle, battle, and post-battle parts of the battle of Fredericksburg. It takes on the characters from lowly privates, to sergeants, to generals. I found it rather amusing that the first typo to be found was on the cover of the book, forgetting the ‘e’ in Fredericksburg. It got off to a long and extremely slow beginning. I know why they did it this way; I just wish it could have been more interesting. That being said it was great to see all the historical detailing brought into the book, as well as the amazing job that was done at character development. I liked the fact that it covered the battle from both sides, but it got to be rather confusing at times. When it did get to the actual battle section, it got to be very intense and I couldn’t put the book down. This redeemed it for the slow beginning. It was also good to see the author let you know what the people he researched for the book did after the war. Overall it was a good read, about an era in time that I find fascinating.

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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Book Review- John Lunn- The Mariner’s Curse

John Lunn- The Mariner’s Curse (Tundra Books 2004) 3.25 Stars

Rory Dugan finally gets exactly what he has dreamed of for many years, to go to sea. It has one catch though; he must go on this cruise with his mother and her new husband. When he comes across Morgan though, things turn for the worse. This grumpy old man seems to be causing trouble on the ship and for some reason Rory finds himself drawn into the man’s schemes.

I was not sure whether or not to put this into the middle reader, or young adult category. On the one hand it reads like a middle reader, but on the other I am not sure that kids would understand the curse aspect of Morgan; when you read it you will understand what I mean. The introduction peaks your interest, but doesn’t outright grab you. It does pick up a little and makes you curious as to just how things are going to turn out. The setting is fun and kids should enjoy it. The characters are fairly well done and play off of each other nicely. Overall I though it was a decent read, especially if you like books about sailing.

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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

Akropol Restaurant

In downtown Swift Current, there is a Greek owned restaurant. It is a small space, but it has an actual restaurant with a lounge attached on the side. A little tight for space, it is still well used space. The atmosphere is pleasant and cozy. The staff are friendly and tend to be around if you need them. They bring the food out in a timely manner, and your wait times for service is never long. The owner is going about the restaurant talking with customers and helping out where he is needed. He is a very friendly man who is always willing to make your experience more enjoyable.
The food is tasty and very enjoyable. I do wish that their Pickerel (which I love the taste of) had no bones, yet you do find a few. The steak tips are amazingly delicious as well. One thing I do not enjoy at this restaurant is their burgers, which are kind of weak. My wife also enjoys their spinach pizza.

Overall Akropol is a homey, customer service-based restaurant.

Rating: 6/10

Kid friendly: Yes, but more space would make it more so.

Book Review- Richard King- That Sleep of Death

Richard King- That Sleep of Death (Dundurn Press 2002) 3 Stars

When Montreal bookstore owner Sam Wiseman finds a body of a client dead, his life changed. He now finds himself trying to clear his name and find out just who was guilty of the murder. Working with the police he finds himself out of his league, but is intrigued by the investigation.

It was a bit of a slow start to the book, that had me unsure if I would finish. It never did really become gripping, but was still interesting enough to keep me reading. It was also kind of cool to see the bookstore angle, and a little of the behind the scenes work that goes on. The characters were okay for me, not great, but not terrible either. I found that his relationship was distracting and kind of pointless. The setting was nice to see, as it was taking place in Canada, but it did not get into the setting description much. Overall it was an okay book, good for a one time read.


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

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/