Rogue Empire by William Tyree

Rogue Empire by William Tyree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rogue Empire(Blake Carver Series) by William Tyree brings the return of Blake Carver, a character who is not only a resilient protagonist, but a realistically portrayed one. The story begins with Carver in Tripoli, who is on the verge of extracting Kyra, a CIA operative. Not only does this plan become a disaster, Carver realizes a targeted drone strike has hit the Chinese Embassy instead of its intended target. Forced into hiding, Carver must determine if this is an inside job, while himself becoming the target of an internal investigation. With crisp, compelling writing, Tyree has created a masterful look at intricate political, real-world relations with other countries, in particular China. This novel is a great installment in the series, and a well-composed addition to the thriller genre.

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The Girls by Emma Cline

The Girls by Emma Cline
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Girls by Emma Cline; not a bad debut novel. The author certainly knows how to use language to convey a mood, to express emotion, to set a tone. Maybe that's all she did here. There isn't much of a story. Having grown up in the 60's, I knew how this story ends. There is not meant to be a lot of tension, more a steady build to something the reader already knows is going to happen. Maybe it's just how people arrive at a place and do horrific things. Cline does manage to capture the "hippie" culture pretty well, and imagines the cult atmosphere that ensconced Manson's followers. I found that part fascinating. Evie as a character gave a voice to the ennui of a generation, and in a circuitous way shows the reader the danger of that teenage boredom in a fascinating time in American history. I don't think the reader is meant to love the story, but to feel the writing. At least that's what I did.

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The Meandering Orb Trail of Avery Adludian Stein

The Meandering Orb Trail of Avery Adludian Stein by Karen Costakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Meandering Orb Trail of Avery Adludian Stein by Karen Costakes is a colorful journey that jumps through the pages. With a touch of whimsy and magic, Costakes takes the reader on a fanciful adventure, where we follow Sam on the trip of a lifetime. After many years of helping her father with his failing Ebay business, and still living at home at the ripe old age of nearing thirty; Sam opens the door one day to find a magical world and path filled with colorful globes. These colorful globes lead Sam on an exciting journey. Sam and her best friend Matty embark on a whirlwind cross- country and around the world adventure as they encounter all sorts of strange characters. The author Costakes has done a great job of creating a mystical, fantastical world; one that transports the reader to another time and place. Recommend highly and look forward to seeing more from this author

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Greylock by Paula Cappa

Greylock by Paula Cappa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Greylock by Paula Cappa is such a different kind of novel with its lyrical writing, fascination with the arts and music, and obsession with success, it's hard to know how to categorize this novel. A mystery at its heart, we follow the life of a very accomplished concert pianist, Alexai Georg, who is married to a ballerina, Carol Anne. Alexai's music of late has taken quite a battering in the review column, and he is looking for a new project. Enter Beluga whales and a fascinating trip for Alexai to listen to their unique music. With a marriage in shambles; Alexai is the prime suspect when his wife, Carol Anne turns up dead in an alleyway. After all, he has hinted about killing off his wife for years, even describing it in vivid detail. A riveting story told through a supernatural lens, Greylock is a captivating story that exposes the reader to classical music in a modern era gothic setting. Highly recommend.

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Stolen by Rebecca Muddiman

Stolen by Rebecca Muddiman is a well written book with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader's attention. The main character Abby whilst driving to visit a friend in the countryside, is viciously attacked and her baby daughter Beth is kidnapped. This violence sets the stage for a sense of unease and tension throughout the book. Abby's life begins to unravel; when a revelation of her past infidelity is combined with the stressors of the vicious attack, her husband leaves her. Time goes by, and everywhere Abby looks, she thinks she sees her missing daughter. A well written story slowly emerges with plenty of cues along the way; the characters are well developed, even the police detective is a finely defined character. I enjoyed this story with a solid plotline and depth of emotion. Looking forward to more from this author. I received this book as part of the Kindle First program.

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for this book by Herman Koch. Having read The Dinner, I was excited to read Koch's latest cynical look into the human psyche. The story is told from several alternating points of view, which is a common writing device these days, and I am not sure it was entirely effective here. This is a mixed bag of a book filled at once with dark humor and creepy characters. It was hard to sympathize with anyone. A sense of foreboding permeates the book, but it was plodding along and after awhile, I simply didn't care anymore. Maybe next time, Mr. Koch. I was kindly provided a free copy of this book by bloggingforbooks.com.

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