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Author Elizaveta Katrinova introduces us to the Moscow Express: Major Kapriyanov would have rather been flying his MiG-29 over Moscow than going on a secret mission to Berlin for the FSK. Nineteen-year-old Katya Bremmler is seeking refuge from her family in post-Communist Russia. While on a trip to Berlin, Germany to learn more about the heritage she must keep secret, she ends up on a military train. Despite Major Kapriyanov’s suspicions of why Katya is on the train, he is enchanted with her and finds himself quickly falling for her. Even though Katya knows the danger of falling for a man in the FSK and Russian military, she is instantly drawn to him. When they arrive in Berlin, the trip turns dire when she finds herself a pawn in a deadly game of spy versus spy. The major vows to protect her while trying to save himself. Will he be able to clear his name and save Katya before they arrest her for being a spy and assassinate him for being a traitor?  Set in contemporary Europe and Russia, Moscow Express is a fun and steamy read. Elizaveta makes excellent use of the locales for dressing her scenes; food apparel and public spaces go a long way to make this book quite enjoyable. The action and dialog are paced well and the amount of narrative is just enough to keep the story moving. POV was great! Almost too good, because I really wanted to know what the minor characters were thinking at times. There is so much to like in this book, I really enjoyed reading it. Moscow Express gets 4.6 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Moscow-Express-Dying-Love-Book-ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moscow-Express-Dying-Love-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34403639-moscow-express You can follow Elizaveta: https://twitter.com/ekatrinova https://www.facebook.com/authorekatrinova http://www.authorekatrinova.com/ Mystery, foreign, Russian, Russia, romance, international, suspense, intrigue, action, espionage, spies, military, romance, YA, adult, steamy Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
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Author Daithi Kavanaugh introduces us to his second volume in the Tadhg Sullivan series, The Brotherhood: Detective Tadhg Sullivan’s life seems to be falling apart, since being shifted to Clare from Dublin after falling out with the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner. His partner (Journalist Helen Carty) has moved out, unable to live with his bouts of depression and periodic alcoholism. He finds himself once again alone in a world that doesn’t understand him. Suddenly Sullivan is knocked out of his lethargy when a teenage girl goes missing not far from Ennis where he has been stationed. Sullivan is asked to lead the hunt by the local Superintendent and is catapulted into a world of unimaginable horror. He is confronted by Lord Charles Cromwell the leader of a sadistic cult (The Brotherhood) that derives its pleasures from the torture and murder of young women. Sullivan’s investigation is once again hampered by political interference. As he fights his way through one bureaucratic obstacle after another he discovers that The Brotherhood’s tentacles have not only reached into corridors of power in Ireland but, they are being protected by powerful politicians worldwide. To cut through this protective ring of steel Sullivan finds himself having to engage with some strange bed fellows. Which included an ex CIA agent (Simon Horowitz) who had saved his partners life during his last investigation and an IRA leader (Rory O’Connor) who has recently been released from prison. Will this strange combination be able to destroy The Brotherhood before their murderous reign takes another young life or will Lord Cromwell destroy Sullivan and everything he loves?  Daithi has given us another great story about his favorite Irish detective! This story is quite good, I enjoyed reading it. I like Daithi’s writing, he has a good balance between action, dialogue, and narration. The pacing is perfect and there were several nice plot twists. No spoilers from me here. His characters are very believable and easy to relate to. His lack of graphic details adds to the suspense, another thing I like. There is nothing better than theater of the mind! Daithi is creating a really good series with this second volume. I am happy to report this is not the last in the series also. Volume 3 is in the works! Whether you like police procedurals or not you will like this book, because the focus is on the people and relationships. He almost kills himself trying to do the right thing! I give The Brotherhood a score of 4.6 stars.  You can buy this book:
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Kavanagh_Daithi/the-brotherhood.htm https://www.amazon.com/Brotherhood-Tadhg-Sullivan-book-ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brotherhood-Tadhg-Sullivan-book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25175252-the-brotherhood You can follow Daithi Kavanagh: https://twitter.com/Daithik3 https://www.facebook.com/DAITHIKAVANAGHWRITER http://bit.ly/2pwiGsH this is Pinterest http://www.tirpub.com/dkavanagh http://daithikavanagh.blogspot.com/ Murder, mystery, conspiracy, spies, politics, thriller, Ireland, IRA, action, CIA Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Barbara Harken introduces us to her novelized story, Degree of Normal: At her mother’s funeral, Jocelyn makes a startling discovery―she has an aunt, her mother’s sister. Not only does this woman offer college-student Jocelyn much needed employment, but Aunt Paula holds the key to unlocking family secrets, secrets Jocelyn needs to confront. With the help of her best friend Alex, Jocelyn begins a journey of knocking down inner walls she has erected from years of abuse. The question is―will those broken walls free her or bury her? And what about this new-found aunt, a restaurateur/artist who signs her paintings “Charlie”? In this psychological novel, enter the world of trauma survival through dissociation and redemption through love and courage.  This is quite an amazing book. The handling of PTSD and DID is sensitive and touching. While this is a novelized version of the author’s story, it rings with sincerity and relevance, without getting too graphic. I greatly appreciate how Barbara keeps the POV clean, it saves a lot of confusion for the reader. The use of a journal to provide relevant background information is done very well. I love how Jocelyn’s deeply buried story is slowly brought forth into the light. The process can be excruciating and very lengthy, occurring in stages. I give Degree of Normal 4.7 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/products/degree-of-normal https://www.amazon.com/Degree-of-Normal https://www.amazon.co.uk/Degree-Normal https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33510145-degree-of-normal You can follow Barbara: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.harken.9 psychology, multiple personalities, childhood abuse, healing, DID, inspirational Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction Author Elizabeth Huntley introduces us to Recipe For Optimal health: FOOD! We all love it! We all need it! But are we creating health or disease with what we put in our mouths? Is our food coming out of a box or a can, or did we buy it fresh at the farmers' market or an organic health food store? Just how long has that jar of peanut butter or bag of corn chips been sitting on the shelf, possibly turning rancid? Even more unsettling, when we visit the doctor after getting sick from our stale food filled with preservatives and other additives, are we merely given a bottle of pills or surgery? This book by nutritionist Elizabeth Huntley, PhD outlines a dietary approach to overall wellness and detoxification of the body, including easy-to-follow recipes and instructions for purchasing and preparing healthy, fresh foods. "Never accept what anyone else tells you to believe. Find the truth for yourself and contribute what you can to the welfare of the world." ~ Elizabeth Huntley, PhD  I am really impressed by the amount of information in this book. It is filled with very practical and useful information for anyone who is interested in taking control of their health. I am already following through on several of her suggestions personally. Her advice is meant to be used in small doses, allowing your body time to adjust to the changes. The information on foods and seasonings is very useful and the recipes make the transitions easier. Elizabeth has distilled a lifetime of study and experience into this slim volume. You might want to buy two copies, one for the kitchen and one to keep clean and easy to read. If you are a messy cook like me. Dr. Huntley’s Recipe For Optimum Health gets 5 stars! You can buy this book:
https://rdrpublishers.com/collections/health-and-fitness/products/dr-huntleys-recipe-for-optimum-health-by-elizabeth-huntley-ph-d https://www.amazon.com/Huntleys-Recipe-Optimum-Health-Detoxification-ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Huntleys-Recipe-Optimum-Health-Detoxification-ebook Nutrition, health, self-care Copyright © 2017 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
June 2023
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