Under Fire

It seems for every book I bring you here, there are five to 10 books that I start, but never finish because they just don’t tell a good story, or I can’t get beyond the less than stellar editing. And, I give them pages and pages to grab me, but sadly so many don’t. So, it’s with a great deal of pleasure I want to introduce you to Rachel Amphlett and her book, Under Fire.

At one time I would have never read an adventure/thriller written by a female. I’m sure glad I no longer have that rule, because I would have missed Ms Amphlett’s adventure. Great Britain is facing a cold winter and someone is sabotaging the gas supplies, or trying to do so. Enter Dan Taylor.

Taylor is a hero with whom we can identify. He doesn’t always have the answers, and can be fooled, but he moves forward.  Which is what separates him from the rest of us. He doesn’t get bogged down in self-recrimination when there’s a job to be done. He just keeps moving. It’s almost like an irresistible force meeting an immovable object…except the force adjusts and finds a way to win.

A great read that moves fast. Ms Amphlett has a new fan.

As a reminder: I try to review independent authors here who are available on the Kindle format. If you have suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

Black Collar

Rating: Five Stars! Entertaining, well paced, educational, and has a strong point of view.

Click on image to take you to Amazon.

I love indie authors. They are courageous folks with great stories to tell and the best are the equal to any mass market writer. Some tell them well, while others still need a bit of work. I literally start about five books for every book I finish. But, the ones I finish are wonderful. Black Collar is such a book.

The best books seem to all have a certain set of elements in common. First, the writing is clear and the plot entertaining. The best are well paced varying between sections of discourse and action that has you holding your breath. And,the really good writers seek to educate, clarify or illuminate some topic, and have a clear point of view. Great examples of indie authors who do this and have set the bar high are Eliot Peper and Glenn Trust. Add, Daniel Sullivan to that list.

Sullivan has taken a topic we have all heard about, net neutrality, but don’t really understand and has offered a clear explanation of the various sides of the discussion. He’s wrapped it in a wonderful thriller that has heart, dignity, and respect for the intelligence of the individual. Yes, he gets a little preachy sometimes, but he has a strong point of view which only serves to make the story better.

Can one person change the world? Can even one wealthy person change the world? Maybe. Maybe not. But, when you get a team of smart folks engaged with access to funds, anything can happen!

Get Black Collar. Read and enjoy.

And, please support indie authors – there are some great treasures to discover.

The Bookmaker

I started this book thinking it might be a compelling conspiracy theory, but set it aside after about ten minutes. A couple of days later I thought I might have judged it too quickly, but again I set it aside, but after 30 minutes. And, yet a third time I picked it up determined to find redeeming qualities in the book. After all, Chris Fraser took the time to write a book; the least I could do was to finish it. And, finish it I did between reading two other books.

So, what does that tell you? The first thing it should tell you is that there is a need for a good copy editor. It might tell you that I may not like a book that starts with what I can only call the personal despair of the main character, Trent. Add in some pot and scotch, and I just could not see him moving beyond the life he was leading.

But, I was wrong. Even though the pot and scotch continued throughout the story, there was a clever theory about not only the assassination of JFK, but the destruction of the Kennedy Clan by an individual with a personal vendetta. Does the theory survive exposure to the sunlight? No. But, it is clever.

So, if you like pot and scotch, and despair turning into something nearing redemption, then this book is for you. If not, then you might not be missing much.

Rating: 3.75. It’s currently not available for sale, so maybe it’s undergoing a good edit. If it becomes available again, I may give it another chance. Right now, there is nothing compelling me to read another book by Chris Fraser, but that could change. Only time will tell.