Tesla by Jason Walker
Tesla*
Would There Be Danger If What Was Hidden Was Found
Starting with an interesting scene where are Tesla, Edison, and Mark Twain meet with a secret group high up in the relatively new Eiffel Tower, having been invited by Monsieur Eiffel himself. The Tesla story is juxtaposed with a more modern one based around a spy named Darren and his wife who work for a secret arm of the CIA, operating as agents for the shadow government. Darren comes across some old original notes of Tesla’s. What will he do with his findings? Will they put him and his family in danger?
This book is written in the present tense, and in general, I think that is an awkward way to write fiction. And unfortunately, in this case, sometimes the other tenses required to show proper sequence of time weren’t chosen correctly around the ubiquitous present tense; this is one of the pitfalls of using the present tense. That said, this was still an interesting read, making the reader of ponder what unknown knowledge might be hiding out there, who are keeping it secret, and what it could mean if it was known.
In just a total aside . . . Since Mark Twain was the pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, I think it would have made an ironic twist to have the members of the secret committee him as Sam instead of Mark.
Two Spies Reach Out From the Grave by Chad Huskins
Two Spies Who Reach Out From the Grave
A Gripping Spy Thriller That Is Hard to Put Down!
Immediately, the protagonist draws you into the story, as you see what he is thinking as he holds a gun on a man. Good guy or bad guy? We don’t know right away. We find out that it is Nathan Adamson, trained as a Navy SEAL and now part of the CIA’s special ops team. The book follows the twists and turns of Nathan’s work and his inner struggles (and, boy, does he have them!), but Nathan’s tale is woven with that of his mentor’s, a now 100-year-old woman who was a member of France’s WWII resistance and mother of the modern espionage in France. Unfortunately, both Sophia’s health and memory are fading. As she loses some memories, ghosts from her past reappear…not only disturbing her mind further…but in real life as well. It’s never over…until it’s over!
This book is exceptionally well written. I was drawn in right away; the descriptions of what Nathan was thinking and feeling in that first chapter was so intensely personal and so strong… I could almost feel the gun in my hand myself! The writing is tight–as one would hope from a spy thriller–but it has moments of beauty in its spareness, like when he described sunset, “A ribbon of fire ignites the eastern horizon.”
The pacing was perfect. I just wanted to keep going!
I did receive an ARC of this book, but this is my honest review…grab a copy if you like spy thrillers!
New Thrillers Jan 27
New Thrillers January 19
Here are some new thrillers out this week…
Blind Justice by Nathan Burrows
Blind Justice
Justice Not Just Blind…But Deaf & Unfeeling
The story starts with a bang, as the protagonist, Gareth, enters his new home for the next 15 years…a prison cell. In a flashback, the novel first outlines how he went from petty thief to convicted murderer, which starts as a tale of a man reforming his life of small-time crime after he meets the woman who will change everything. The author does a good job keeping us guessing throughout. We know there is going to be a murder…but who’s the victim? Is Gareth really innocent? While telling of the past, the author leaves crumbs of vague clues pointing toward the inevitable without giving it away, just enough to tantalize to keep the reader turning pages.
As the story progresses, one murder sparks another. While the perpetrator of the first one gets off nearly scot-free, the accused of the other (Gareth) is convicted. We know that justice was indeed blind in the former, and the bulk of the book details how it is true in the latter as well. Most of the book is what I would call courtroom drama with first preparation for and minute-by-minute coverage of Gareth’s retrial. The defense is brilliant and fantastic to watch unfold (especially as I am a long-time fan of Law & Order and other legal-type shows).
The author is great about giving details that pull you into this world. I loved the growing relationship between Gareth and his girl before everything goes wrong, which made the rest of the story so much more poignant. Gareth and Jennifer’s romance is slow and sweet, as he aspires to a girl whom he first saw as being way out of his league. He finally has it all when his world is ripped apart. Unusual for a thriller, I found this story to be emotionally gripping, too, on several levels.
There is a major twist at the very end when the real killer revealed. But it was a perfect and fitting end. Justice was blind, thank goodness, one last time.
If you like legal thrillers, this is well paced with twists and turns and people you’ve grown to care about, give this book a try.
New Thrillers Jan 13
Here are some thrillers coming out this week.All books are available by direct purchase as well as through Kindle Unlimited. Most don’t have reviews…be the first!
Free Thrillers Dec 29
Here are some free thrillers I found today! Quite a few are the first in a series. If you’re like me, you love a new series to devour! Revenge, psycho former sweethearts, a mysterious ancient book, kidnapping, mind reading, cyber terrorist attack…
Click on the book cover to be taken to its page at Amazon.
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