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Jud H

Jud H

10/09/09

I've recently started reviewing books for several websites. This is an unpaid gig but I get to write about books that I love to read and occasionally it may pay me a little for author requested "express reviews." This is something anyone can do and I do enjoy seeing my reviews posted.

You can look up my reviews on the... more »
  • Fayetteville, AR, USA
  • member since June 29 2008

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 27 reviews
  • Dead Air: A Sammy Greene Thriller (A Sammy Green Thriller)
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Meet Samantha “Sammy” Greene, a young college co-ed at conservative Ellsford College in New England. She’s the host “The Hot Line,” a call-in show on the school’s radio station, WELL. No topic is off limit for this show and Sammy has rubbed more than a few faculty and staff the wrong way when following a story. After finding the body of Dr. Burton Conrad, she decides she to dig deeper after the police conclude he committed suicide. Then one student supposedly commits suicide and another is supposedly sent home with chicken pox but never arrives. Sammy realizes the two students are connected by the fact that they were seen by the same doctor at student health services, Dr. Palmer and that he performs research at a very secretive on-campus facility. Complicating the investigation is the Youth Crusade led by Rev. Taft, who has been holding rallies and accusing the Ellsford Administration of promoting immorality and a mysterious fire which destroys the radio station. Sammy senses something sinister is going on in the halls at Ellsford but doesn’t realize the person behind it all will kill to protect his secret. Can Sammy uncover the secret before she before her next broadcast becomes her last?

    “Dead Air” by authors Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid, is a fantastic novel that introduces Sammy Greene as the host of WELL’s “The Hot Line” and a dogged reporter. “Dead Air” grabbed my attention from the word “go” and I dreaded putting it down to sleep and go to work. It’s a fast moving novel but by no means tedious. The character development was excellent: the young, enthusiastic co-ed, the good looking boy friend, the reluctant radio station manager and the mysterious doctor. A definite plus about the book is that it’s not full of medical terms which only a med student would understand. There are enough of them to make a realistic novel but not so many that you get lost. I see excellent potential for future Sammy Greene novels and it is with great pleasure that I give this book 5 out 5 stars.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review 5 days ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Redemption

    Redemption

    by Laurel Dewey
    • Rated 5 stars

    “ Denver Homicide cop Jane Perry has resigned, unable to put behind her the loss of a family she was protecting. She has decided to start her own detective agency and is wallowing in self-pity when fate throws her a bone. While stepping out for a smoke at her AA meeting, Jane meets Katherine “Kit” Clark, who is fighting demons of her own. She lost her granddaughter Ashlee to a brutal rapist and murderer and now, due to new evidence, he has been granted a new trial. Now a new abduction has taken place and Kit is convinced it’s the same person who killed Ashlee and wants to hire Jane to find him. Desperate for money, Jane takes the case, not knowing what a strange ride it’s going to be. Kit is a New Ager and all her herbs and homeopathic cures almost drive Jane over the edge; Jane’s foul language and smoking habit are repulsive to Kit. In the end both women realize that they can help one another find what until now has been desperately out of reach: redemption.

    “Redemption” by Laurel Dewey features the return of Jane Perry, Denver Homicide detective. It is the second entry in what I hope will be a long running series. The book focuses on the search for redemption by two women: one, a recent resigned Homicide detective and the other, a woman with a terminal illness. My favorite part of the book was the discussion between Jane and Kit concerning the beliefs of Dr. John Bartosh, psychologist turned Fundamentalist minister and the man who lobbied for the release of Kit’s granddaughter’s killer. There is much of what was said that I can personally relate to, having grown up with family members with these very same beliefs. Like in the book, their personal identity cannot be separated from their religion: to question one is to question the other. The author has done an excellent job of giving her characters a depth that is often missing from the typical murder mystery. I love the way that the author has brought these two individuals together to work toward a common goal.

    Laurel Dewey has definitely earned a place in any discussion of the top mystery authors of the present day, including such stand-outs as Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver and Faye Kellerman, among others. If you enjoy authors such as these, don’t miss “Redemption.” This is a five-star read.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Solomon Effect

    The Solomon Effect

    by C.s. Graham
    • Rated 5 stars

    “A German submarine carrying a deadly cargo, lost during the final days of WW II has been found. The cargo aboard in the wrong hands could bring about the Apocalypse. Now October Guinness, possessing the gift to “see” events occurring on the other side of the world, has been paired with CIA agent Jax Alexander in order to find the submarine. Jax, having worked with October before, is still skeptical of her gift but has second thoughts as her “sight” begins to prove itself amazingly accurate as the search for the submarine moves forward. What October and Jax don’t know is that the person spearheading the recovery and use of the cargo toward its deadly purpose is closer than they think. The search will take them across the globe and into to the sights of killers who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

    The Solomon Effect by C.S Graham is the second book featuring remote viewer October Guiness and her partner CIA Agent Jax Alexander. This is the first book I’ve read by this relatively new author and it was a pleasure to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys authors such as Brad Thor or Vince Flynn-action novels with a ample sprinkling of political intrigue. Graham has done an excellent job of creating two very believable characters: one with a bit of a supernatural gift and the skeptical partner who is forced to reevaluate his skepticism. I like the fact that much of the history mentioned in the book is based on fact, as noted in the author’s notes at the end of the novel. An example is the XB class of German submarine, one of which did indeed sink off the coast of Norway with a toxic load of mercury and is an environmental threat. I feel it adds value to the book because the reader will learn as well as be entertained. If you are looking for an author adept at combining a little science fiction with action and politics, C.S. Graham is the author for you.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Thursday, October 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Endangered Species (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback))
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Good book and quick read.”

    Jud H wrote this review Wednesday, October 14 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Name of the Rose
    • Rated 5 stars

    “The year is 1327….a fierce power struggle is taking place between the newly elected Pope, John the XXII, and Louis the Bavarian, newly elected King of the Holy Roman Empire, over the theology of Jesus. Brother William of Baskerville is dispatched by the Pope to investigate allegations of heresy made against Franciscan Monks. His mission changes however when upon his arrival at the monastery he is informed of the mysterious death of one of the order’s members just days before. Thus William, at the Abbot’s request, must turn detective to solve this crime. William possesses a wry sense of humor and an exceptional deductive ability, which he will need in order to solve this mystery. With the help of his scribe, Adso, William searches deep into the secrets of the abbey and their mysterious library, to which only a privileged few are allowed admission and where secrets are protected at any cost.

    The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is one of the most interesting and well-written murder mysteries that I have read in years. Eco has done a fabulous job of creating a two-man team that truly rivals Doyle’s Holmes and Watson. What really stands out is Eco’s ability to set up the main plot with an authentic description of the theological battles which enveloped the early Church. Division theology is as common now as it was then, the difference being we no longer sentence people to death for disagreeing with us. My favorite parts were the long and at times ridiculous debates the monks had over such mundane topics as why Jesus slept in Bethany while visiting Jerusalem. This book gets two thumbs up in my opinion and I only wish Eco had turned this into a series.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • A Superior Death (Anna Pigeon Mysteries (Paperback))
    • Rated 5 stars

    “National Park Ranger Anna Pigeon has been reassigned to Lake Superior in Michigan. This is quite a change of scenery for her, having spent most of her career in desert settings. Among the shipwrecks in the lake is the Kamloops, a ship that sunk in 1927 with 5 sailors still aboard. Things begin to get interesting when a pair of recreational divers comments that one of the bodies looks so good, it’s as if the person died just yesterday. When one of the locals turns up missing, Anna hopes the extra body with the wreck isn’t his but unfortunately it is. Now Anna must determine who the killer is and why, not knowing that she could be walking into danger herself.

    A Superior Death by Nevada Barr is the second entry in the popular Anna Pigeon series. This time the action takes place on Lake Superior in Michigan. I believe that part of the success of this series is that Barr periodically implements a change of scenery, which opens up new and fresh plot options. As a Federal employee myself, I can relate to the bureaucracy within which she works. Barr writes in a way that lets us get to know Anna and the assortment of colorful characters she lives and works with. This series is always an enjoyable read and I look forward to catching up on the rest of the series and look forward to hearing more from Anna Pigeon. I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery without gore or tedious details.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Holy Blood, Holy Grail
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln is a fascinating read. The book examines such things as the Merovingians, the church at Rennes-le-Chateau and the connection between the Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar. The book has been well researched and the arguments are quite convincing, particularly concerning the compilation of the Bible as we know it today. While there is no definitive evidence that the events portrayed in the Bible are anything but fact, the authors present a compelling argument for how the crucifixion could have been faked and by what methods it could have been done. There are also a number of details that support the argument for a faked crucifixion, such as Joseph using soma, Greek for “living body,” when requesting the body from Pilate. There are also striking contradictions among the Gospels. In Luke, Jesus was visited by sheperds at his birth and the family lived in Nazareth. In Matthew, Jesus was visited by kings and the family lived in Bethlehem. The authors also spend a fair amount of time examining just how the Bible was assembled into its current form and point out that in order to spread its version of the truth, the Church very likely had strong political reasons for editing, changing and culling many books that might have otherwise been included in the Bible. This was an excellent read if you enjoy the DaVinci Code and want to know more about the research behind the book.”

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Seven Deadly Wonders: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Tartarus……the sunspot that lines up with the earth roughly once every 4500 years is about to appear again. According to legend it will bring catastrophic destruction upon the Earth unless a golden capstone, lost to antiquity, is placed back where it belongs on top the Great Pyramid at Giza. It is said that whoever has the capstone on the day of Tartarus will make his country invincible. According to legend, Alexander the Great broke apart the capstone and hid it within the seven wonders of the ancient world. A document known as the Callimachus Text details the locations and how to beat the traps. Now, three groups of nations are competing with one another to find the pieces and assemble the capstone on the day that the Tartarus Rotation takes place. The Americans form one team, the European Union the second and supersoldier Jack West, Jr., in possession of the Callimachus text, leads the third. West must beat the odds and lead his team across the ancient world to find the pieces and prevent the possible annihilation of the Earth.

    Seven Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly is without a doubt one of the best action novels of recent years-think Indiana Jones on steroids. The novel is one heck of a roller coaster ride from beginning to end, starting with a daring rescue and ending with a last-second, Hail-Mary save. Reilly has done an amazing job with the details of each mission, intricately describing each location in detail. The book appears to be historically accurate with regard to the identity and location of each of the ancient wonders. Reilly has sprinkled in the odd trivia throughout the novel, such as the Washington Monument and the Great Pyramid at Giza being at the same height above sea level. All in all, I learned a lot from this novel and could hardly put it down once I started to read it.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, October 9 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Marker
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Dr. Jack Stapleton and Dr. Laurie Montgomery have reached a turning point in their relationship of 9 years-Laurie is hearing the ticking of her biological clock and Jack isn’t yet ready for a family. In addition, she finds out she carries the genetic marker for breast cancer after her mother is diagnosed with it and discovers she is pregnant. As if this weren’t enough to deal with, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME), for whom Laurie and Jack both work, starts receiving autopsy requests on healthy individuals, all from the local Americare Hospital. All the individuals were at the hospital for very minor procedures and all suffered heart failure and, as it turns out, share the common trait of genetic markers for chronic illnesses. With their relationship on-the-rocks, Jack and Laurie are determined to get to the bottom of these mysterious deaths. The stakes are raised when Laurie is rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery due to an ectopic pregnancy and unwittingly becomes a target for the as yet unknown forces responsible for the deaths.

    Marker by Robin Cook is yet another top-notch medical thriller by one of the masters of the genre. I will warn you now, if hospitals make you jittery, do not read this novel. This novel was written about 6 years after the completion of the first stage of the Human Genome project. The ramifications of this accomplishment is that at some point in the future, individuals could have their blood tested and be told if they possess the genetic markers for any given health condition, such as diabetes or cancer. However, the flip side is that this information could be used by the health insurance companies to deny coverage. As always, Cook demonstrates attention to detail and gives the reader a glimpse of what the future may hold. As with his previous novels, I believe he is right on target.
    ”

    Jud H wrote this review Saturday, September 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • Foucault's Pendulum
    • Rated 1 stars

    “Plot is too hard to follow.”

    Jud H wrote this review Saturday, September 19 2009. ( reply | permalink )
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