China White by Sarah Richards

 Styvie Savard lives in her car on the streets of Vancouver, after losing her job as a cop. When she hits a young teenager who runs from the scene, she is determined to help the girl. Using her past detective skills, she dredges the drug culture of lower Vancouver, but finds the girl is part of something much more dangerous.

This award-winning thriller is extremely fast-paced and with tons of suspense and action. I really enjoyed the story. The only drawback was the choice of narrators.

Heroes of the Acadian Resistance

 

This is a historical account of those first settlers in Canada who came from France and turned a hostile land into a thriving farming community. Instead of fighting with the Native Micmac people, they learned and worked with these people, until the British arrived. The land of Nova Scotia changed hands many times, but the Acadian people held fast to the ideals of neutrality. They would swear allegiance to the King, but refused to raise arms against British enemies, their old forefathers, France.

Exasperated, the British overlords took matters in their own hands and expelled over 10,000 people to locations scattered across the globe, separating families and communities. 

In this book, the entire of the expulsion and those who sought to combat the horrible and illegal strategy is expressed so that the Acadian, French, and the British sides are shown equally. From this perspective, once can ask if the hostilities helped or hindered the decisions of that day. Excellent historical account.

Oracle by Andrew Pyper

 Touched by an evil entity as a child, Nathaniel has the ability to see clues to abductions through the eyes of the victims. Working with the FBI, he runs a losing race as the entity calls all the shots. Now, having given up, he is called back to where it all began, and he must figure out the clues before a child dies at the hands of a monster.

The story is very faced-paced and both the police procedural and the horror of the preternatural make this a winner. Right up to the last pages, the author holds reader by the throat. 

One of Pyper’s best!

The Acadians: A People’s Story of Exile and Triumph by Dean W. Jobb

 This is a historical account of the brutal exiling of the Acadian people of early Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island by the British in 1755. The horrors which these gentle farmers who were some of Canada’s first citizens went through was nothing less than genocide orchestrated by English overlords.

They displaced the Acadians to different locations across the globe, yet today still hold the same language and traditions and even gather to celebrate their ethnicity and resilience.

One issue I had with this telling was there was not enough emphasis on the role of the French government, the Catholic priests and a group of hotheads that forced the British hand in this displacement.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 The Nightingale is the tale of two French sisters set against the Second World War. One sister only wants to survive and keep her child safe while they wait for husband to return from the front. But as the Nazis sweep over France and take over the country, her sister has other plans. She joins the underground resistance. Both women do their part during the horrors of German occupation.

The story is heart wrenching, beautiful and ugly as any desperate time could be, but the human element shines through. Extremely well researched, the author brought the time period to life and is a reflection of such tremendous talent.

Never by Ken Follet

 From the foreword, author Ken Follett admits that while researching his Century series he was shocked to find that none of the counties that fought in the Great War want things to escalate, but one logical decision after another by each participant relentlessly force the armies together. In Never, he looks at modern decision makers to see if this could ever happen again in the nuclear age.

The story starts slowly but ends up racing like a run-away train to its terrifying conclusion. This is a realistic look at international diplomacy, retribution, and weight of decision makers. It is not for the faint of heart. This is as real as it gets,

Follet once again proves that he is one of today’s top writers.

Oath of Office by Jack Mars

 Following on the heals of an attack on the US administration that has wiped out most f the government, the newly instated President faces an horrific challenge when Islamic extremists steal a weaponised vial of Bubonic plaque. Luke Stone, who helped save what is left of the American government, including the Vice-President, is trying to bring normalcy back to his family who also have been harmed by recent events, is pulled back into the fight.

Not caring about legalities or foreign affairs niceties, Luke is like a bull in the China shop. He spends as much time fighting his own people as he does the enemy, as he will allow nothing to stand between him and the organization that is bringing America to its knees.

Hard hitting, action-filled adventure that holds more than ring of truth. This sequel to “Any Means Necessary”, does what sequels are meant to do; keep the story moving, bigger and better. Hod onto your seat, you’re in for one hell of a ride.

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

 This is my first introduction to Renee Ballard, a detective for Hollywood’s Sex Crimes. Dealing with a pair of rapists and a possible gangland murder, Ballard finds that the same gun used against her victim had been used years earlier in an open case of Harry Bosch, who is in retirement. Never one to shy away from a case, Bosch and Ballard team up to follow the trail of clues.

Intriguing and definitely worth the read, Connelly delivers again. Not sure if this new partnership will continue, but this reader is hoping it will. Great combo!

Thunder Bay by Willian Kent Krueger

 When old Henry, the Ojibwa medicine man, collapses and ends in the hospital, the only person he wants to see is Cork O’Connor. Cork, believing that the old man is dying, agrees to travel to Thunder Bay, Canada, to speak with a man that Henry says is his long, lost son. Hostility confronts him by Henry’s son, and threats from a security guard to the man, but when he reunited with Henry, he finds that the security guard has followed to kill the old man.

Before he can help, Cork needs the whole story. This Henry’s life story and it’s a monumental one. Even armed with the facts of the past, is it enough for Cork to deal with the present?

Another marvellous story from Krueger. His character Henry Meloux is much loved, and we finally found out about his past. Exciting with tons of danger, love and betrayal.

The Last Nazi by Andrew Turpin

This has it all. Buried Nazi treasure, political wheeling and dealing, revenge, greed and ruthless killers. Joe Johnson has been hunting war criminals for years after a stint in the CIA. When rumors are leaked that Nazi treasure might finance the contender of the Republican party, a newspaper hires Johnson to find out the truth. But people don’t like having him poking into matters better left in the past. From the United States to Argentina and England to Poland, this story just doesn’t stop until the last bullet is fired.