The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch

 

When Master-Thief, Michael St. Pierre finds that his friend Simon, is imprisoned in a secluded prison, sentenced to death, he drops everything to spring him and comes face to face with a woman who he has just recently fallen for. Is she a friend or foe? In a duel between thieves, Michael must steal certain artifacts that lead to an ancient temple where the fate of mankind lies in the balance.

This story is a roller coaster of thrills and action. If is my first by Doetsch and will not be my last. Don’t plan on getting anything done over the next few days as you are sucked into this grand adventure.

The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal

 Former alcoholic, Norma Watts is hired by the parents of the child she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago, to find their child who has runaway. But this goes much farther than just a simple runaway. An investigative journalist who saved Nora years ago and helped her get over the trauma of the past is killed, and shadow killers are tracking Nora’s every move. It is all tied to a horrible event in her past. She needs to unravel it before she and her teenaged daughter are silenced forever.

Gritty and belligerent, Nora comes from a life of extreme hard knocks, but it is that toughness that helps her survive. The story is fast paced and relentless. I did figure out the mystery early on, but it was more due to the number of thrillers I read versus any fault of the author.

The only issue I had with the story was the detail the author put into the threat of wolves and how they attack any lone victim. This comes out of Hollywood and has no factual evidence in the real world. Once again, wolves are demonized for the sake of suspense and danger. It was totally unnecessary. I’m no card-carrying animal activist, but I do appreciate attention to details.

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

 The story takes place during the summer of 1932, in the middle of the Great Depression. Odie and his brother, Albert, team up with Moses, a mute Native boy and Emma, a recent orphan against the evil of the Black Witch and the Lincoln School for Native children.

With no choice but to run, these friends' escape and follow the Gilead River towards St. Lewis, where the brothers have an aunt and possibly a place to call home. The trip is anything but easy and the group has several adventures, always staying just ahead of the law and the Black Witch.

The story is an epic quest with the depression and central America as a background. It is definitely a coming-of-age story as the children are introduced to situations and ideas they have never encountered before. Krueger, whose Cork O’Connor series is loved by thousands, follows his historical fiction, Ordinary Grace, with a tale of a time when the entire world was suffering through the devastation of economic collapse and hid so much cruelty as desperate people stooped to low levels to survive. It reflects a lot of today’s society.

An important read!

Sea Child, A Cape Breton Mystery #2 by Renny DeGoots

 DeGoots revives her beloved detective, Gordie MacLean, in another murder mystery on the iconic Cape Breton Island. The marine tranquility of Nova Scotia is shattered when a lobster fishing boat is found adrift miles from its fishing grounds, its owner dead on the deck. MacLean and his partner, Roxanne, find themselves working alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) division. With few clues, they must piece together this who-done-it with good police work and sharp wits.

The characters in this series quickly feel like old friends and we root for our hero as he faces danger, heartbreak, and the scorn of his boss. But like all great sleuths, he keeps pushing until the truth comes to light.

This story will be perfect for all fans of P. D. James or Louise Penny or anyone who enjoys police procedurals.

The Patriot Threat (Cotton Malone #10) by Steve Berry

 

In this installment of Cotton’s thriller story, he goes up against a North Korean bent on destroying both America and China. Leaked documents from early in the century exposes two secrets that can destroy the American nation. Cotton teams up with another of agent of the Magellan Billet and a Treasury Agent to regain the documents.

Exciting as ever, the exploits of Cotton Malone are as enjoyable as ever. The subject, which deals with the tax system in the United States, less so. I found this part dry and slow. Thankfully, Cotton’s scenes made up for this with fast-paced action and suspense.

Not my favorite Cotton Malone story, but I’m glad I read it.

It’s What I Do A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario has been on more battlefields than most soldiers and risked her life to capture the photos that can change the world. What started out as a hobby that helped her earn a few extra bucks, it became an obsession to show the pain and suffering of those harmed by war.  From Afghanistan to Libya, she covered every major event over the past twenty years. She survived kidnapping and snuck across borders, all to show the world what was really happening in the world.

Her story reads like a thriller as it races from one conflict to another, both military and humanitarian. It is a true testament to the brave men and women and what they sacrifice to bring the truth to the world. One incredible true story. One fascinating woman.