Book Review- Sigmund Brouwer- Broken Angel

Sigmund Brouwer- Broken Angel (2008) 4.25 Stars

Appalachia is a part of the broken United States and during this post-apocalyptic period Appalachia is being controlled by a cult-like group. Laws are strict and based on Old Testament law. Caitlyn’s father is trying to get her out. The only way to do this is through deception. As she leaves her father’s side she is forced to befriend Theo and stretch her strength beyond what she could have ever imagined. It is a tough journey, but it is the only way that she can learn to soar on her own.

It had an odd beginning and did not immediately grab me. The book did pick up and became quite captivating though. The plot was quite interesting with some great twists that I did not see coming. And the ending was quite unique and I thought that it was the perfect way to wrap things up. The characters were very well done and assisted the intensity wonderfully. The twists did make it hard to know who was really good and who was really bad though, but I guess that just keeps you on your toes. It was a very different book from those that I normally read, so I was very surprised to find myself enjoying this book. I would recommend this book to science fiction 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- John Lutz- The Night Caller

John Lutz- The Night Caller (2001) 3.75 Stars

Ex-NYPD detective Coop is in remission, but he just found that his daughter has been murdered. As he digs into it, he pairs up with a mystery writer, Deni, who is trying to be taken more seriously by going into nonfiction. Together they come to realize that this may be the work of a serial killer. As things heat up they have to wonder who will be coming out this investigation alive.

I wasn’t impressed with the last Lutz read, so I went into this thinking it would be boring, but I was pleasantly surprised when I enjoyed it. It had a decent start, not great, but enough to keep me reading. I did find that it picked up and was intrigued by the characters work at trying to figure things out. The overall plot was done quite well and was executed in such a manner as to draw your desire to read on. I loved the characters as they were quite unique and although they were not all likeable, they fit quite well into their intended positions. I did have to wonder about the FBI parts as to whether they would have thought the way they did and questioned the realism in a couple of parts. The ending was very good, it was a nice way to wrap things up. Overall it was a decent read.

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- Avi- Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Avi- Crispin: The Cross of Lead (2004) 3.5 Stars

One day Asta died and suddenly her son was left alone. After finding out he was christened with a royal name, Crispin, he finds himself on the run. Everyone wants him dead and he has no idea why. Medieval England is an intimidating place for a servant boy with no friends. Coming across a man named Bear, may just have been the best thing that happened to him. At least now he has someone looking out for him.

Starting off a little slow, it did pick up the pace fairly quickly. It wasn’t ever really gripping until the end, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. I love this time period and found it cool to see how they wound their way through the countryside. The characters were captivating, although I am not sure why it took Crispin so long to figure things out. The plot was good, but there weren’t a lot of twists. I did love the ending though, it was very exciting and was a great conclusion of events.

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- Tim Cockey- The Hearse Case Scenario

Tim Cockey- The Hearse Case Scenario (2002) 1.75 Stars

Hitchcock Sewell is doing his job as an undertaker, making arrangements for a funeral, when he receives the strangest phone call. Shrimp Martin, a local bar owner, calls to tell Sewell that he has been shot by his girlfriend, a close friend of Sewell’s. Shrimp is brought to the hospital and ends up getting murdered while staying there. Now his friend is wanted for murder and he must try to find evidence that she did not do it. He doesn’t realize how dangerous this mission might be.

The introduction for this book was pretty good; it made me want to read more. However it kind of tapered off and got to be kind of tedious. The overall plot was actually decent, but the copious amounts of fluff detracted from the level of intrigue. It had some good twists, but the ending kind of wrapped things up too neatly. I did enjoy the sarcasm of the characters, they made me chuckle. The characters themselves were decent, but could have been tweaked and given more background to make them deeper. Overall, the book was not one that I would recommend.

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- Daniel Silva- A Death in Vienna

Daniel Silva- A Death in Vienna (Signet Books 2005) 3.75 Stars

Gabriel Allon is being called upon by Israel again. After a Jewish building in Vienna was bombed, he is secretly sent there to get to the bottom of it. He is discovering though, that the answer may not be easy to swallow. Allon may have to face the demons of Jewish past and his own families past, in order to bring this to an end.

The introduction was kind of slow and did not really grab my attention. It did pick up pretty quickly though. I did not find that it ever got be intense, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading. The overall plot was really good; it was deep and had some great twists along the way. The book had a great conclusion; it was a really creative way to wrap things up. The characters were also really well done, with some good background. I found the holocaust story sad, but interesting. Overall it was a pretty good book.

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- Matt Braun- Deadwood

Matt Braun- Deadwood (St. Martin’s Press 2003) 3.5 Stars

Luke Starbuck has been hired by a smooth talking lawyer to hunt down a man who stole money from a rich mine owner. Now he must find a way to infiltrate the Hole-In-The-Wall. Things may not be just the way they were portrayed to him though, the first indicator being that people keep trying to kill him. Luke doesn’t like being setup and now he is out for blood. Who will be the last man standing?

The first couple of pages had me wondering about whether or not the book was worth reading. That being said, it did still catch my attention early on and make me want to keep reading. Luke is a likeable character who has a good head on his shoulders. He figures out things with Sherlock-like deductions. He is also skilled at disguises and with a gun. It really reminded me of a western Sherlock Holmes book. Overall it was a decent one time read and as far as westerns go it was pretty interesting.

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- John J Nance- Pandora’s Clock

John J Nance- Pandora’s Clock (St. Martin’s Press 1996) 3.25 Stars

When a shipment of vials is sent to the wrong place and one is broken, a deadly level 4 pathogen is released. One of the infected workers escapes and he gives the virus to a professor before the professor gets on a 747 flight back to the States. When he dies of a heart attack on flight, no one will let the plane land for fear of spreading the virus to other countries. To prevent them from landing, somebody is willing to blow them out of the sky. Captain Holland is in a race against the clock and a battle of wits with the whole world.

The introduction was okay, not really gripping, but interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading. The overall plot was very fast-paced. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The storyline was good, although not deep. It was a very intriguing read. I did find that it changed from person to person way too often, which made it really hard to stay focused. It also made it impossible to get connected to any one character, or really place your finger on a main character. I was hoping for more depth in character. The epilogue was extremely cheesy and I felt the book would have been stronger without it. Overall it was a decent one time read.

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/