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Multi-volume author, Lawrence Oliver, introduces us to his debut novel, “The Last Marines”: Having been replaced by robots and drones, veterans Ben Corbin and Sam Garrett go into business for themselves towing derelict vessels and space junk out of the shipping lanes around Mars. Business was good, but a couple of malfunctioning service robots forced them to return to Earth for replacements. Aliens attacked the freighter they’d booked passage on, slaughtering and feeding on the crew and passengers. Only Corbin and Garrett managed to hold their own until they could hide in stasis pods. 200 years later Earth and her colonies, governed by the Commonwealth of Nations, are at war with a race of aliens known as the Nineteenth. Not with the Gar Rei Jhi who had attacked Corbin and Garrett so many years past. That war had been fought and humans lost. The Nineteenth is a new alien threat whose origins and motives are unknown. What information humans have on this new enemy comes from the uneasy alliance with the Gar Rei Jhi who’ve been fighting an even longer war with the Nineteenth. Though long ago, Corbin and Garrett’s history with the Gar Rei Jhi hasn’t been forgotten. They are to be ambassadors serving at the pleasure of the same aliens that attacked them. Thrust into a new age of engineered soldiers, interplanetary politics, and self-aware robots, Corbin has to quickly decide who he’s going to trust as he journeys back to the Mars colony. But his search for truth may come at the cost of his life, and the fate of the Commonwealth may rest on his decision.  I didn’t know robots could be so sassy and sarcastic. Some of them are downright funny. Scary robots? No, it’s some of the aliens that are scary. Reading this book was a great pleasure! Sci-fi is my number one favorite genre. The author is not new to writing and his skill shows in this book. He catches the angst of a guy who is 200 years out of his era so effectively. The people around him are quite ably represented also. His characters really seem to be alive. I love the plotting; the pace is perfect and very exciting. The dialogue is very funny at times, and solemn when appropriate. I award a score of 4.8 stars to “The Last Marines”! The score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found. These errors have been corrected, your reading experience will be better. I really hope the author writes more in this series, prequel and sequel. This is easy to picture as a trilogy and maybe more.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/LAST-MARINES-Lawrence-N-Oliver-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/book/-the-last-marines https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wolf-we-feed-s-a-sheppard You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/Ollie3104 https://www.lawrencenoliver.com https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceNOliver Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
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Multi-genre, multi-volume author Wayne Kerr introduces us to his third book in the Reggie Swan series: Trapped on a train with a ruthless killer… The Kettle Valley Railway was established over a hundred years ago. The line connected the communities around Lake Okanagan with each other and to the West Coast. In 1964 passenger service ended and 1989 saw the final freight train travel its rails. The majestic steam engines are running once again, providing scenic tours for locals and tourists. Reggie Swann and her friends board a special late night running of the Okanagan Express. They are treated to gorgeous valley lights, good food and wonderful company, until things go horribly wrong. A whiteout storm strands the small train on one of the highest trestle bridges in North America. Then, to make matters worse, one of the passengers is murdered. When all the evidence points at Alan Swift, Reggie’s boyfriend, the PI has a few hours to prove his innocence before the police take over the case. A cunning and callous foe seems to be one step ahead of the detective at every turn. When Alan is hauled off the train in handcuffs Reggie appears to be beaten, unless the Black Swann has another trick up her sleeve… Another Black Swann Investigation  I love these books, set mostly in the beautiful Pacific Northwest; the story about Reggie Swann’s survival in prison (the first book) and growth since reentering free society, after being unjustly framed, (the second book) are quite well written. I thoroughly enjoy Wayne’s mastery of the English language; he is economical with his words and yet paints a great picture of the fluid action and wonderful scene-setting. The dialogue is a lot of fun and very realistic. Many different factors come into play, even the weather as in real life. I also appreciate the homage to one of the greatest mystery writers ever, Agatha Christie and her renowned “Murder on the Orient Express”. Just like Poirot, Swann’s wits are pitted against a deranged, uncaring foe and the defender of law and order wins out over duplicity and treachery. I award 4.9 stars to “Murder on the Okanagan Express”, the score would have been higher except for a handful of spelling errors. The spelling errors have been corrected, so your reading will be smoother.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/murder-on-okanagan-express https://www.goodreads.com/-murder-on-the-okanagan-express https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Okanagan-Express-Black-Investigation-ebook You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/waynekerrnovels http://www.waynekerrnovels.com/ You can write Wayne: waynekerrnovels@gmail.com I have already reviewed the first book in this series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/framed-black-swann-investigations-book-1-by-wayne-kerr I have reviewed the second book in the series: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/a-pinot-noir-to-die-for-a-black-swann-investigation-book-2-by-wayne-kerr I have reviewed another exciting book by Wayne Kerr https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/-ric-a-dam-doo-the-snow-devils-by-wayne-a-d-kerr Tags: private investigator, woman, sleuth, mystery, procedural, police Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction. Debut author, Robert A. Tayler, introduces us to his first volume in the “A Tide of Times” series: IS THERE A PIRATE LURKING INSIDE EACH ONE OF US? Florida and the Caribbean Sea have a rich history of Pirate lore. The Golden Era of Piracy, from 1665 to 1730, is replete with romanticized tales of high-seas romances, epic sea battles, daring sword fights, and hoards of captured treasure. These tales belong to the distant past...don't they? On December 2, 2003, Roger Petrie and his brother Tom were lost at sea, their cargo ship Belvedere seemingly disappeared without a trace. The Coast Guard rescued them from a deserted Caribbean island two years later, wondering why they were dressed so outlandishly. Once back to modern civilization, Roger resolved to forget the past and build a normal life, marrying Rebekah in 2006. They had two children, Riley and Drake, and moved to Sarasota, FL to put down permanent roots. Tom, however, reveled in their alleged past exploits. He moved to Sarasota as well, to be near Roger's family. Riley loved pirate lore, and Tom eagerly stoked her love, constantly regaling she and Drake with fanciful tales of their past deeds. Roger dismissed Tom's stories as utter fabrications. But evidence - ancient weapons, valuable coins, names of ships and captains long since vanished - begins to surface, seemingly giving credence to Tom's stories. In addition, Roger is talking in his sleep, uttering the names of people and ships that Rebekah finds actually existed. As the evidence mounts, people are beginning to wonder - did something incredible, something unbelievable, happen to the Petrie brothers after their ship went down? If so, what were they doing in the Caribbean the two years they were lost?  I dreamed of being a pirate when I was a young boy, also a cowboy, fighter pilot and an astronaut. Reading this book was a little like returning to that dream, but not nearly as romantic and far more deadly. Stories about time travel are some of my favorite and this story exemplifies that category so well! I love the tension that Roger is slowly floundering in. The question of what will people think is a biggie. The author plays that song so well. I enjoyed reading this story so much. It’s quite well written, the dialogue shines, the scene-setting is delightful and the action is vigorous without being too detailed. The balance was perfect for me. I award 4.8 stars to “Plundering the Past”, the score would have been higher except for a few spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/PLUNDERING-PAST-Tide-Times-Novel Paperback only at this time, ebook is coming soon. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42106679-plundering-the-past https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/plundering-the-past-robert-a-tayler You can follow the author: twitter.com/robertatayler17 https://robertataylerauthor.com facebook.com/robertataylerauthor https://www.instagram.com/robertatayler mailto:robertataylerbooks@gmail.com Tags: sea adventures, historical fiction, time travel, Caribbean Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Brian Lee Meyer introduces us to the second volume in the series of “Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David”: The ringing of swords can be heard in Israel once again. While war has brought Abishai and Joab wealth and prestige, new threats are emerging. As the trumpets of battle call, one brother will struggle to build the home and family for which he has always yearned; the other will grapple with his very sanity. At the worst possible time, they will face betrayal from the person they least expect. Can they escape infamy and rise to glory a second time? Will they even survive long enough to do so? Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David is the climactic sequel to Brian Lee Meyer's breakout novel. The story maintains its historical and cultural authenticity which readers enjoyed in The Mighty Men of King David. Betrayals crescendos with action, heartache, and brotherhood right up to the satisfying finish.  This is an amazing story! If you are a fan of historical fiction or biblical fiction this is exactly what you have been looking for! This sequel is every bit as good as the first story. The story really comes alive on so many levels. I love that it’s told in first person POV. It brings such intimacy to the story. Brian puts muscle, sinew and flesh on the bare-bones of the days of King David, as told in the Bible. The characterizations are magnificent, the scene-setting is terrific and the action is jaw-dropping! This story would make a great movie. I award 5 stars to “Sons of Zeruiah: The Betrayals of King David”!  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Sons-Zeruiah-Betrayals-King-David https://www.goodreads.com/-sons-of-zeruiah-betrayals-of-king-david You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/blmeyerstories https://www.brianleemeyerstories.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Brian-Lee-Meyer-154704661915171/ Tags: biblical fiction, historical fiction, military action, war adventure Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume author, Joshua Rem, introduces us to the fourth volume in his YA fantasy series, “Vath’s Legacy”: Two hundred innocent Nyobian citizens perished by the hand of the renegade warlock and domestic terrorist, Krexin Vath. Following his defeat three years ago, an entire country's worth of potential victims heaved a collective sigh of relief, believing their terrible ordeal to finally be over. They were wrong. Other warlocks and necromancers are now banding together to continue the work of Vath. Kiralyn Frostwhisper and her unlikely undead ally, Rufino Endicott, have a unique opportunity to infiltrate the death cult and expose everyone involved, but there's a catch. Evil is contagious, and nobody is immune. What awaits the duo is a severe test of character in which the only thing they have going for them is each other.  I have read a few vampire books, including Abraham Stoker’s classic. Stoker’s antagonist was very chilling, others have been interesting. Rufino is the most interesting vampire I have had the pleasure of meeting. His personality shines so brightly in this wonderful story. What’s not to love about a halfling, shape-shifting vampire. His relationship with the elf druid priestess is something else. The author has a wonderful handle on dialogue that entertains and informs. The pace of the story was quite good. The scene-setting was just right for me, not too much and the action flowed smoothly. I enjoyed the story so much! I laughed a great deal. I award 5 stars to “Vath’s Legacy”!  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Vaths-Legacy-Rufino-Factor-Book-four https://www.goodreads.com/-vath-s-legacy You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/joshua_rem http://www.joshuarem.com Tags: fantasy, vampire, magical realism, romance, humor, elf Copyright © 2019 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
November 2019
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