"Reflections of Grey" at a Discount

Reflections of Grey by J.C. Phelps

One of my favorite Smashwords authors, J. C. Phelps, is running a promotion for her "Reflections of Grey" novel until May 6. If you use coupon code "ER72W," then the price at Smashwords is only $0.99. 

"Reflections of Grey" is the third book in the Alexis Stanton Chronicles.  The first book in the series (Color Me Grey) is FREE on Smashwords while the second book in the series (Shades of Grey) is just $3.99.  I give both the first and second book in the series a 4-star (out of 5) rating. This 4-star rating corresponds to an about an 8 or 9 on my "Read Again Scale" from the old book review system.

If you are looking for a Robert Ludlumesque main character, you will find it in Ms. Grey. However, I don't think Ludlum would have written about Ms. Grey because all his main characters were men. I highly recommend giving this series a chance - especially since the introductory novel is free.

Review of "The Last Roman"

• Title:  "The Last Roman (Praetorian Series - Book One)"
• Author:  Edward Crichton
• Finished:  March 7, 2013
• Synopsis:  An elite commando unit commissioned by the Pope during World War III is sent to take out a terrorist leader. In the process of capturing the leader, the unit comes into possession of a blue sphere which eventually transports them (with their modern weaponary) back to the Roman Empire during the reign of Caligula. Caligula, Claudius, and Aggripina all make it into this adventure/fantasy tale that attempts to use the odd blue sphere as the explanation for the madness of Roman Emperors.
• Impression of the book:  This book was entertaining and fairly fast-paced. This indie author could use a 2nd or 3rd edit through the middle portion of the book, but the editing issue really didn't prevent me from staying connected to the story. This was a "shot in the dark" free book on Smashwords that I surprisingly enjoyed. 
• Star Rating (Out of 5)
• 3.5 Stars

As I mentioned, this was a free download from Smashwords that is an attempt by the author to prove his writing skills. It is a full length novel that provides the reader with opportunity to figure out whether or not to pay for the next installment in this series or his other books. My recommendation on this book is to give it a shot if you like science fiction and/or historical fiction. The Last Roman is a clever mix of both.

*****

My recent experience with self-publishing a book has given me a new respect for the many authors out there trying to make it without the backing of a big publishing house. I believe that indie authors will lead the digital publishing era because of the control that route takes. Because of this, I have started sampling the free works available on Smashwords. As I complete them, I am making economic decisions about whether or not the author has earned my dollars with their effort. If they do, I intend to purchase their other books. You will be able to find my recommendations on "Russ's Smashwords Bookshelf" as I write reviews.

As of this post, I realize that I well behind on providing some of the reviews on my new bookshelf. I encourage you to surf on over to Smashwords and find the next best selling author. There are some really good story-tellers publishing there now.

"Daddy Issues" Review

• Title:  "Daddy Issues"
• Author:  Jonathan Watkins
• Finished:  July 24, 2012
• Synopsis:  The extended description at the Smashwords book page is the best way to describe this book.
• Impression of the book: This is the second book in the Bright and Fletcher series by Watkins. It is a great follow-up to the first book, "Motor City Shakedown."
• Read Again Scale: 6-7
• Although I mentioned this in my previous review of Watkins first book, I will say it again. The new Kindle has opened a much bigger library to me, so my read again scale needs to be recalibrated.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 10
• Watkins includes a teaser for the 3rd book in the series. I am pretty sure that I am becoming a loyal reader. Although I kind of like recurring character series, I think I would like to see Watkins try a stand alone novel.

"Daddy Issues" was the first book that I ever purchased at Smashwords, and it was worth the $2.99 that I paid for it. I will read Watkins next book in the series (due out soon). He has put together a pretty good duo in Bright and Fletcher, and he still has a few threads that go back into the first book to work out along the way. I would recommend giving "Motor City Shakedown" a FREE read. If you like that, then you will definitely enjoy "Daddy Issues."

"Motor City Shakedown" Review

• Title:  "Motor City Shakedown"
• Author:  Jonathan Watkins
• Finished:  July 8, 2012
• Synopsis:  The extended description at the Smashwords book page is the best way to describe this book.
• Impression of the book: The book has a "Grishamesque" feel to it. Lawyers are acting outside their job description. In this case, they are trying to clear the reputation of a client who has been murdered.
• Read Again Scale: 6-7
• Ordinarily, this book would rate higher on my read again scale, but the new Kindle has opened a much bigger library to me. So, it may take a while to get back to it.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 10
• I have placed "Daddy Issues" in my hopper. I plan to purchase it from Smashwords soon.

I downloaded this book to understand the process for doing that at Smashwords, and I ended up with a VERY entertaining and funny legal mystery. Watkins keeps the pace going nicely and provides a good foundation for the beginnings of the Bright and Fletcher series. I will be buying "Daddy Issues" after Watkins provided "Motor City Shakedown" free at Smashwords.

"A Most Wanted Man" Review

• Title:  "A Most Wanted Man"
• Author:  John Le Carre
  
• Finished:  August 25, 2010
• Synopsis:  A young Muslim Chechen, Issa, arrives in Germany illegally after escaping from both Sweden and Russia.  He befriends a Turkish family and obtains an idealistic young human rights lawyer. Issa is not entirely what he seems because he has large inheritance waiting for him in a private German bank.  The intrigue surrounding him brings all parties into an old fashioned spy game mixed with the war on terror.
• Impression of the book:  It is pretty clear that Le Carre is trying to make a statement on the American war on terror.  He ends up telling the story that makes it difficult to determine the good from the bad.  A liberal will probably read the book picturing the "spies" as bad guys while viewing Issa as a misguided victim. I read the book thinking of Issa as a fugitive from the law, so his situation did not really tug at my heart strings.  Le Carre has written a story that allows for a lot of interpretation, and he does it in very compelling way.
• Read Again Scale:  3
• I enjoyed this book a great deal, but it is not the kind of book that I typically read again.  This is especially true if I am able to use the "Read & Return" option from the Paradies Shops in the airport.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  7
• If I encounter same situation while traveling, I would be willing to read Le Carre again.  However, I won't search him out at the library.

This book was an airport impulse buy.  Fortunately, I finished a book that was intended to last me an entire road trip, and I found this book to be a pretty good replacement.  Le Carre takes a dim view of the war on terror but writes his characters with enough depth that you can understand motives on both sides.  If you like spy/mystery novels, this one is a very good one.  You will probably enjoy it.

"The Bone Garden" Review

• Title:  "The Bone Garden"
• Author:  Tess Gerritsen
• Finished:  August 18, 2010
• Synopsis:  As with the previous reviews of Gerritsen books, the synopsis is probably best handled by linking to Gerritsen's webpage.
• Impression of the book:  This book was much different than the typical Gerritsen novel.  The suspense and gruesomeness are suppressed to some degree by the knowledge that the murder in question takes place about a hundred years earlier and the killer is not out there stalking today.  I enjoyed reading this one a bunch.
• Read Again Scale:  7
• Unlike the previous four Gerritsen novels, I would re-read this one if I happen across it in the library. The other Gerritsen novels were "definite maybe" re-reads.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Since I am reviewing a 5th book by this author, you have a pretty good idea that I will read her work again.

Tess Gerritsen shows a lot more range to her writing in this book. She weaves historical fiction with a modern day story.  The flashbacks that reveal the story that she is telling do not distract from the present day adventure that the main character is going through. For you "Rizzoli & Isles" fans, Maura Isles is a very small character in this one, but Rizzoli doesn't even make an appearance. So, don't pick this one up thinking that you are getting an installment of that dynamic duo.

The Bone Garden brings the modern reader into a time when "Resurrectionists" delivered cadavers to medical schools.  I think that many will find it offensive that early medical schools resorted to paying these grave robbers OR looked the other way as their students obtained their own gross anatomy specimens. It also shows us that, once doctors started WASHING THEIR HANDS between patients, the epidemics of some diseases (such as puerperal fever) were vastly reduced in scope.  Wow, what a difference a hundred years makes!

"Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis" Review

• Title:  "Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis"
• Author:  Christopher Nowinski
• Finished: November 4, 2009
• Synopsis:  This book is a mixture of many things: autobiography, lessons learned, advocacy, etc.  Nowinski tells the story of his battle with multiple concussions and warns football players, families, and coaches of the danger of not taking concussions seriously.
• Impression of the book: I was impressed with Nowinski (Harvard football player turned professional wrestler) and his ability to tell a really sad story that continues to wreak havoc in his life.  I closed the book feeling both sad for him and fortunate that  I walked away from football mostly unscathed.
• Read Again Scale: 6
• I was suckered by the display at the Fayetteville Public Library.  This is one time that I am not sorry about it.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  5  
• A definite maybe on this score.  I think it would entirely depend on the subject.

Nowinski tells a story that is perhaps familiar to many that have played high school and/or college football. He has multiple instances of getting dinged, having his bell rung, etc.  What football players, coaches, and professional wrestlers don't realize is that each of those cultural phases for going loopy after hit are basically the recognition of the symptoms of a concussion (without actually saying concussion).  I had ONE pretty serious concussion as a high football player, but thinking back on my career, it is likely that I had multiple "minor" concussions that never took me out of the action.


This book caused me a lot of consternation, but it also confirmed a lot of my beliefs about youth football. I am one that believes that tackle football at ages less than middle school/junior high is counterproductive.  First, there is such a great disparity in body size at young ages that there is an inherent problem of the smaller players quitting (or never starting) because of the size mismatch with larger kids.  Second, there is nothing that is taught or learned at those young ages that is neglected in higher levels of football.  Finally and probably most importantly, the coaches of these Pop Warner or Pee Wee leagues don't have the training to recognize the signs of head injury.  For that matter, neither do some high school or college coaches if we are to believer the reports from Texas Tech last season.

I think that every youth, junior high, and high school football coach should read this book.  I think that coaches care about their players. Living with the fact that they could have prevented an injury (or death) of a player would be extremely difficult.  I also recommend this book to anyone involved with high school athletics.  Finally, I would recommend that high school coaches associations around the country bring in neurologists or other doctors to train/inform coaches on the dangers of head injuries for adolescents.  Emphasizing the dangers might reign back some of the cavalier attitude toward head injuries that can be seen on almost any Friday night during football season.

"Children of Dune" Review

• Title:  "Children of Dune"
• Author:  Frank Herbert
  
• Finished: April 17, 2009
• Synopsis:  This book is the 3rd book in the original "Dune Chronicles" by Frank Herbert.  A pretty good synopsis is found here.
• Impression of the book: This book brings closure to many of the issues raised in the first two novels.  Leto (son of the emperor who was both worshiped and hated) brings about a more complete transformation of society than even his father managed, but he pays a terrible price. 
• Read Again Scale:10
• Like "Dune" this book is also on my five year re-read list.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 10
• As I mentioned in the "Dune Messiah" review, Frank Herbert is one of greats of science fiction.  Eventually, I plan to read every novel that he wrote.

This book shows how the twin children of an emperor (who was elevated to messiah status) deal with the problems he left behind.  The twins must negotiate assassination plots, family politics, and a crumbling religion based on their father.  AND they have to do all this before they turn 10.  The end of this novel is closure for the first "trilogy" in the Dune Chronicles, and it is likely that Herbert intended to end his story here. I enjoyed the follow-on novels, but the ~5 years between this book and the next one tells me that Herbert was persuaded to expand his universe rather than planning it.  As I wrote during the Dune and Dune Messiah reviews, if you are a science fiction fan (or thinking of giving the genre a try), the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert is a good place to dive into.  If you enjoy the world that he creates, you might try the other books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.  Again, I will warn you that if you don't enjoy sci-fi, take a pass on this book and series.

"The Hobbit" Review

• Title:  "The Hobbit"
• Author:  J. R. R. Tolkien
• Finished:  April 10, 2010
• Synopsis:  Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, "signs on" for an adventure as the burglar for a group of dwarves.  Gandalf plays a large role in his recruitment for this task. Along the way to reclaim the dwarf treasure, they run into many strange creatures, close calls, and exciting new acquaintances.  By the way, during all this adventure Bilbo stumbles across THE Ring of Power made and obsessed about by Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor. Bilbo is able to use it to become invisible and help the company in many ways during the trek to the Lonely Mountain.
• Impression of the book: I first read this book as a middle school student.  Middle Earth was (and still is) a great escape from wherever I am.  I love this book, and I think Tolkien is one of the best storytellers of the 20th century.
• Read Again Scale:  10
• I first read this book in middle school.  I like to pick it up every so often. 
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 10
• I have read and re-read "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Simarillion."

This short novel is a small part of the backstory that launches "The Lord of the Rings" epic.  I have always liked the story of how Bilbo stumbles across the ring.  Bilbo thinks it is just a useful trinket, but eventually he finds it very difficult to part with it.  This story contains a lot more fantasy and young reader stuff than the LOTR follow-up. I enjoyed it as a middle school reader, and I still like it as an adult. After the publication of LOTR, Tolkien "cleaned up" some of the details of the finding of the ring, but the essence of the story didn't change. Tolkien knows how to tell a story.  He was also brave enough to take the amount of words necessary to tell a great story.  If you like classic fantasy literature or want to give it a try, "The Hobbit" is a great place to start. If my voice would hold out (and she would patronize me), I will start reading this book with Sophie when she reaches middle school.

"Moneyball" Review

• Title:  "Moneyball:  The Art of Winning an Unfair Game"
• Author:  Michael Lewis
• Finished: May 11, 2010
• Synopsis:  Michael Lewis goes behind the scenes of the Oakland A's to find out how they are able to compete with teams willing to spend 3-4 times more money.
• Impression of the book:  I love this book.  It takes a look at what most people "know" about baseball and reveals that they might know things that simply are not true.  My interests in professional baseball has waned over the years, but this book rekindles that interest every time I read it.
• Read Again Scale: 10
• I think that I pick this book up about every 2 years (usually during baseball season).
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 6
• It would very much depend on the subject.  I think the the story carries itself.

When I first read this book, it challenged a lot of the things about baseball that I took for granted.  Is bunting sound strategy?  What about stealing bases?  I always believed so, but now I am less convinced. The book delves into the oddity and phenomenon that is Bill James's writing.  After reading this book I am always left pondering, "Do other sports have these hidden statistics that can make a team using them more efficient at spending their money?"  I am certain that football strategy (particularly with regard to 4th down) can be re-thought to maximize a team's chance of success, but I am less certain that those other sports miss players that would succeed at the highest level (as baseball appears to do).

If you like baseball to any degree, give this book a read.  If you don't like baseball, you may like the story anyway.  This is one book that I recommend to anyone.

"Dune Messiah" Review

• Title:  "Dune Messiah"
• Author:  Frank Herbert
  
• Finished:  January 31, 2009 
• Synopsis:  This book is the 2nd book in the original "Dune Chronicles" by Frank Herbert.  A pretty good synopsis is found here.
• Impression of the book: Of the six Dune books written by Frank Herbert, this one is the shortest and maybe the most disturbing.  It deals with the elevation of a ruler to Messiah or god-like status.  Paul struggles with what his followers (both political and religious) are doing in his name and his inability to stop them even with his tremendous powers.  The book deals with the dangers of religion and politics riding in the same boat.  It also demonstrates that sometimes these political-religious movements depend more on a figurehead than a true leader.
• Read Again Scale:  10
• Like "Dune" this book is also on my five year re-read list.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Frank Herbert is one of greats of science fiction.  Eventually, I plan to read every novel that he wrote.

Even though this is the second novel in the series, it is the last book that I read.  That is a long story.  This is an excellent bridge between Dune and Children of Dune, but does not stand out as a singular encapsulated story. It does however introduce new concepts such as the pitfalls of absolute prediction (perfect prescience) and the intrigue that surrounds an emperor with no heir. If you are a science fiction fan (or thinking of giving the genre a try), the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert is a good place to dive into.  If you enjoy the world that he creates, you might try the other books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.  Again, I will warn you that if you don't enjoy sci-fi, take a pass on this book and series.

"Tales from the Dad Side" Review

• Title:  "Tales from the Dad Side"
• Author:  Steve Doocy
• Finished:  January 28, 2009
• Synopsis:  Steve Doocy tells his view of fatherhood from both his childhood and adult perspective (with a very quirky sense of humor).  Here is the description of the book from Doocy's website.
• Impression of the book:  I found the book to be mildly amusing, but not nearly as funny as others who have read it.  As Kristy will tell you, most people don't "get" my sense of humor or my jokes.  I am ok with that, and it tells me that this book is probably much better than I would give it credit for being.
• Read Again Scale:  1
• One time through this book was enough for me.  I will likely pass it along to one of my siblings to get their thoughts on it.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 2
• Doocy is not really my style of writer or humorist.

This book was a Christmas gift.  I must admit that I would not have picked this one up at the bookstore.  I don't feel like I wasted the time spent reading the stories that Doocy included.  In fact, I appreciate the effort that he put into trying to pass along gems that might help other dads.  As I said earlier, other people have liked this book much more than I did.  If you like Doocy on Fox & Friends, you will probably like this book.  It is also a real quick read, so even if you don't end up liking the book, you will be done with it in a couple of days.

"The Hurry-Up, No-Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy" Review

• Title:  "The Hurry-Up, No-Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy"
• Author:  Gus Malzahn
• Finished:  January 5, 2009
• Synopsis:  This short book is written for coaches interested in implementing the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense (HUNH).  Malzahn discuss both his reasons for jumping feet first into this offense and his implementation of the system at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, Arkansas.   
• Impression of the book:  As the brother of a football coach, I wanted to understand some of the pros and cons of implementing this type of offense.  If you are going to read a book about fast-paced high school football, this is the one to tackle (pun intended, Josh).
• Read Again Scale:  10
• I try to read this book about once a year before the 7-on-7 football season begins in Arkansas.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author: 5
• If Malzahn ever decides to tell the story of his time at Arkansas, then I would read it.  Otherwise, I probably wouldn't read another book by him.

This is the first (and only) football coaching book that I have ever read.  Malzahn is clearly writing for coaches, but the material is accessible to someone who watches a lot of football.  Malzahn is definitely a gifted offensive coach, and his coaching decisions (discussed in the book) demonstrate that he is willing to go against conventional wisdom.  I think he also demonstrates that conservative football strategy based on defense and ball control thinking will have to be "re-thunk" in the next few years.

"Every Dead Thing" Review

• Title:  "Every Dead Thing"
• Author:  John Connolly
• Finished:  March 6, 2010 
• Synopsis:  The John Connolly website has an excellent synopsis of the book. 
• Impression of the book:  This book fills in the back story that I missed when I read "Dark Hollow."  The story is gripping as murders and dead bodies seem to surround Charlie "Bird" Parker wherever he goes. His attempts to get away from the hunt for the "Traveling Man" (who killed his wife and daughter) lead him to solve the mystery of another 30 year old series of murders.  Bird is never far from the Traveling Man who seems to know everything he does (and more). "Every Dead Thing" contains elements of the mystical (New Orleans style "voodoo") while mixing in regular, old fashioned detective thriller fundamentals.  I really enjoyed this book.
• Read Again Scale:  8
• If I stumble across this one at the library again, I will definitely consider bringing it home.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• After reading a second book by Connolly, I will definitely look for others.

This is a fascinating story of a detective who has his wife and daughter murdered.  The very thought of a police officer's family being dragged into this kind of story makes Bird's actions totally understandable. He lives the worst nightmare of a cop, but he isn't dreaming. It is a story of Bird dealing with grief and guilt over his family's death while hunting, and being hunted by, serial killers.  I would recommend this book for those that like a good murder mystery/detective story.  Again, the warning about trouble sleeping after reading this novel goes along with Connolly's work.

"The Sinner" Review

• Title:  "The Sinner"
• Author:  Tess Gerritsen
• Finished:  April 5, 2009
• Synopsis:  As with the previous reviews of Gerritsen books, the synopsis is probably best handled by linking to Gerritsen's webpage or the Amazon page for the book.
• Impression of the book:  This Rizzoli and Isles story is the most recent book by Gerritsen that I have read.  Unfortunately, it is also the least memorable of the ones I have read.  Dr. Isles is dealing with an ex-husband and both Rizzoli and Isles face a lot of non-practicing Catholic guilt.  These aspects of the novel never really drew me into the story. Without these sidelines, the medical mystery would have been very entertaining.  As it is, this was my least favorite of the 4 Rizzoli/Isles books that I have read thus far.
• Read Again Scale:  5
• Like the previous three Gerritsen novels, a definite maybe on the re-read scale.  It depends on what else is going on in the house.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Since I am reviewing a 4th book by this author, you have a pretty good idea that I will read her work again.

The distractions from the main storyline do add depth to Gerritsen's characters as they develop through the series.  However, I would have preferred that she stick with story at hand.  It was an entertaining book, but I believe that the attempts at defining Isles and Rizzoli more thoroughly cooled me on reading any more book in the series over the last 11 months.  Eventually, I will get back to Gerritsen's medical mysteries because she really does tell great stories. Once again, I need to caution that the subject matter of Gerritsen's books can cause some to lose sleep. 

"The Ambler Warning" Review

• Title:  "The Ambler Warning"
• Author: Robert Ludlum
• Finished:  February 25, 2010
• Synopsis:  Harrison (Hal) Ambler, a State Department Consular Operations agent, finds himself in a high security psychiatric facility. While in ConOps, Ambler was an extremely valuable member of the "Political Stabilization Unit" because he is basically a human lie detector. Ambler has been so drugged/confused by the staff that he doesn't even know who he is anymore. With the help of a nurse, Ambler escapes the facility and begins trying to put together the pieces of his life that led to his incarceration. Now that he has escaped, Ambler has to avoid both recapture by those who put him in the facility and death by the security forces that he has tangled with over the years.  He is also struggling to prevent an assassination that may start another World War.
• Impression of the book:  This novel was a classic Ludlum story - a covert agent of the U.S. government on the run and surrounded by enemies he can't know.  The agent can't trust his "friends" or his enemies.  I think that Ludlum (or his ghostwriter to finish this one) is the best at weaving the complicated storyline that makes a great spy thriller.  Of the 26 novels that Ludlum wrote/outlined/story-boarded, I would put this one in the top 10.
• Read Again Scale:  7
• I occasionally find myself to the Ludlum section of the library, and when I am there, I often pick up a new novel plus one that I have read before.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• I think this is actually the last novel to be legitimately attributed to Ludlum.  His name has basically became a trademark or brand after his death.

While reading a Ludlum novel, you always feel like you have read this story before. I think the familiarity with the "shadow elements" in all his works is what produces that deja vu. Clearly, I have been hooked on the overly complicated conspiracies that Ludlum cranked out before his death for a long time (since about 6th grade). I have read most of his novels and probably have about half of them in hardback.  If you like spy thrillers, this one is a good read. It is also a pretty good one to introduce someone new to the genre to the twists and turns of a good spy novel.

"Dune" by Frank Herbert

• Title:  "Dune"
• Author:  Frank Herbert
• Finished:  January 25, 2009
• Synopsis:  There is a lot of stuff in this science fiction classic.  The Wikipedia entry that discusses "Dune" does a pretty good job on the synopsis.
• Impression of the book:  In about 1984, Mom bought me a torn-up paperback at a yard sale (I was 11).  When I say torn-up, I am mean the cover was ripped off and the 1st page or 2 had sections missing.  That book turned out to be one of my all-time favorite novels: "Dune".  Dune is widely recognized as classic science fiction along with books like "Brave New World," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Frankenstein," and "The Martian Chronicles." I was able to immerse myself into a human (mostly) universe many thousands of years into the future spread across many galaxies. That escape was exactly what I needed at that time and is probably why I return to it every so often. The story had aspects that I didn't understand when I first read it (e.g., addiction, political intrigue and corruption, and religious fanaticism), but the story was compelling enough for my limited experience to grasp and enjoy.  Each time I return to this novel, I find something new. 
• Read Again Scale:  10
• I have re-read this book about every 5 years since the age of 11.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Frank Herbert is probably my favorite sci-fi author.

The original "Dune" chronicles stand out as the one science fiction series that always holds my attention.  There is a lot depth in this book that doesn't become clear until you have read some of the later additions to the series. The movies and mini-series made from this book and series have never really been able to bring the scope of the ideas in the book to the screen. If you like science fiction and haven't read this book, you are missing some of the best writing (and story) in the genre. However, if you don't enjoy sci-fi, take a pass on this book and series.

"The Surgeon" Review

• Title:  "The Surgeon"
• Author:  Tess Gerritsen
• Finished:  April 5, 2009
• Synopsis:  As with the previous reviews of Gerritsen books, the synopsis is probably best handled by linking to Gerritsen's webpage or the Amazon page for the book.
• Impression of the book:  This was the kick-off novel for the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series. The story provides a great start and some really good character development. I missed some of it by reading the books out of order and reading this book clarified some of the issues that both of them are dealing in later novels. After reading this one, I understood completely why Gerritsen was asked to continue writing about the characters that she introduced in "The Surgeon."
• Read Again Scale:  5
• Like the previous two Gerritsen novels, a definite maybe on the re-read scale.  It depends on what else is going on in the house.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Since I am reviewing a 3rd book by this author, you have a pretty good idea that I will read her work again.

For me, the tough part of recommending Gerritsen's books is the gory or brutal nature of the storylines. Rizzoli is a homicide detective and Isles is a medical examiner, so you might have some idea from shows like CSI that you are going to encounter the gruesome or macabre. Somehow, reading stories like this can be more disturbing because it requires building your own mental image of what the characters are experiencing. I liked "The Surgeon" a great deal, but I caution that the books in this series may cause some to have trouble sleeping after reading them.

"The Last Templar" Review

• Title:  "The Last Templar"
• Author:  Raymond Khoury
• Finished:  April 3, 2009
• Synopsis:  Raymond Khoury's website has a pretty good description of the story.  The description treats the book fairly even though it is a promo site for Khoury and his books.
• Impression of the book:  This book grabbed me from the beginning when four horsemen dressed as Knights Templar raid a Metropolitan Museum opening for a Roman Catholic artifact.  The first chapter made want to read further, but it kind of made me wonder if I wasn't reading a knock-off of "The DaVinci Code." I haven't read that book so I have no way of actually judging that impression.  The FBI anti-terrorism agent (Sean Reilly) is a solid, believable character, but Tess Chaykin leaves a lot to be desired.  In general, I was entertained.  This novel is another that attempts to challenge the foundations of Christianity in a very superficial way and doesn't succeed in my estimation.  I think that Khoury believes that the Templar conspiracy put forth in the book was more compelling than I found it.
• Read Again Scale:  3 (On the minus side of maybe)
• There would have to be a real dearth of reading material for me to go through this one again.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  5 (Definite maybe)
• I might pick up another Khoury novel.  This one was good enough to make me think about it.

You may remember that I said that my leaving reading material behind happens more often  than you would think.  Well, "The Last Templar" was another of those airport reading material purchases.  I have since learned that there is not a line on my Expense Report for "Reading Material," so I am becoming more diligent about securing my books before speeding away from the house.  This book was worth the $6.00 or so that I paid for it, especially if I can get my brother to sell it for me on eBay.

"The Apprentice" Review

• Title:  "The Apprentice"
• Author:  Tess Gerritsen
• Finished: March 13, 2009
• Synopsis:  The synopsis is probably best handled by linking to Gerritsen's webpage or the Amazon page for the book.
• Impression of the book: As I started doing these reviews, I realized that I read the Jane Rizzolli and Maura Isles series in a scrambled order. Gerritsen wrote them in this order: (1) The Surgeon, (2) The Apprentice, (3) The Sinner, (4) Body Double, and so on. In looking at my spreadsheet, I read them in this order: (4), (2), (1), and (3).  The really odd thing is that, because the stories are so self-contained, you never feel lost or missing key details. As I said in the "Body Double" review, that book is my favorite of the four that I have read so far.  However, I was ready to read more cases involving Isles and Rizzolli after I finished this one.
• Read Again Scale:  5
• A definite maybe on the re-read scale.  It depends on what else is going on in the house.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Since I am reviewing a 2nd book by this author, you have a pretty good idea that I will read her work again.

This is another quick read. I am pretty sure that Gerritsen writes them that way. I enjoy these popular fiction novels for what they are:  a short escape that doesn't demand that I ponder deep issues.  If you like shows like CSI or Law & Order, you will probably enjoy these books by Gerritsen.