Backlash
It was over a decade ago when I discovered American hero, Scot Harvath. Harvath is the epicenter of Brad Thor’s novels about the secretive men and women who keep this country safe. While the series’ are novels, I hope that there are such people dedicated to the safety of our country. I look forward to each summer when Mr. Thor blesses us with another Harvath novel. There are only a few authors who consistently thrill me with their novels. As much as I read and rate books, Brad Thor’s books make most action thrillers pale in comparison.
So if you’ve read any of my book reviews, you already know that summer is an exciting time for me. Usually each July, Daniel Silva gifts us readers with a new novel featuring Israeli superman, Gabriel Allon. I am not sure how Mr. Silva has maintained the high level of quality of his novels (this is the nineteenth installment)! As you also may be aware, I read a lot of books…this is the 58th book this year. I found myself liking many books and giving the generous ratings on Goodreads. Then I get to The New Girls and it’s like being attacked. I mean I cannot put this book (Kindle) down. It doesn’t seem like enough to give it a meager five stars.
The Redbreast is a thriller set in Scandinavia where Harry Hole is an ordinary man with very strong investigative instincts. Never considered one of the elite because of his personality, he is nonetheless a worthy detective. In Redbreast he discovers that someone purchased a very expensive weapon in his tiny town. This intriguing purchase seems to be of interest to no one but him. While his superiors focus and try to force Harry to focus on other issues, he cannot get past the fact that this weapon is somewhere nearby and about to be used.
Author David McCullough hails from my hometown of Pittsburgh so I feel a connection to him. Okay, not really, but I’ve enjoyed many of his books. If you love historic settings and details, you have to have read some of his books. The Pioneers is subtitled “
So I am obviously behind the times only just discovering Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. I had heard about them, but I tend to shy away from very successful, “popular” novels as they often leave me wanting. So when I decided to reach for one of these novels (see what I did there?), I went back to the beginning…and it had one heck of a beginning…
Keep It Quiet by Richard Hull follows the Secretary (manager) of a British gentlemen’s club, the Whitehall Club. When a member seems to be murdered the Secretary is embroiled in intrigue and cover-up while still trying to please his members…all very British!
“From an early age I have known that I am a favorite of the gods, particularly of the great god Horus to whom I pray. How else could I have been gifted from birth with so many talents and virtues? How else have I been able to survive so many terrible perils and mortal dangers that would certainly have destroyed any lesser being? How else have I been able to stay so young and handsome and my mind so sharp when all those about me wrinkle, turn gray and fade away with age? There is something about me that has set me aside from most other mortal men.”
In 
The Skaar Invasion by Terry Brooks is the second book in The Fall of Shannara books. I basically leaves off from where The Black Elfstone ended. The Skaar are a people whose land is failing and they are in search of a new home. Lead by their warrior princess, they show cunning and little mercy against their enemies. Meanwhile the remaining druid must find a way out of the vanished Paranor before he disappears completely. He must join forces with his friends before the lands are taken over by the Skaar and his former colleague.
FBI agent Jessica Blackwood comes from a famous family of magicians. She too shares that past, but has driven herself to become the best cop that she can in hopes of leaving that all behind. Her unique talents with misdirection, however, makes her a valuable asset when facing criminals looking for a big splash. In Black Fall, a series of seemingly unrelated events lead to anarchy in the United States. Blackwood and the FBI must find the people who are pushing the buttons before it’s too late.