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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 30 reviews
  • Searching for Atlantis

    Searching for Atlantis

    by Richard Barcott
    • Rated 4 stars

    When archaeology Dr. Henry Randall has his peaceful day interrupted by fellow professor Dr. Alice Fenstor, little does he know it could lead him to the find of a lifetime. She breathlessly tells him that she has heard from Sir Edmond Riley, who she met while collaborating with him on a summer project, has contacted her about an amazing discovery. She shows him a newspaper clipping sent to her by Sir Riley which has a picture of a necklace. The necklace bears markings on it, that when translated, say “Made in Atlantis.” Convinced that he is close to one of mankind’s greatest discoveries, Riley is seeking Fenstor’s help with an expedition which hopes to actually find the legendary city. Before Fenstor can show Randall the actually necklace, it is stolen. After conquering a great many obstacles, Dr. Randall, with his son and nephew in tow, agrees to help Sir Riley and Dr. Fenstor with the expedition and obtains funding from local filming company who is going to the same region to film an oil spill. Prior to ever making it to the filming location, their plane crash-lands on an island used by a local band of modern day pirates, they are taken hostage by a group hoping to cash in thru insurance fraud and they are caught up in a massive tidal wave, losing nearly all their research material in the process. As if that’s not bad enough, Sir Riley has turned up missing. Can the group recover from these setbacks and finish their search?

    “Searching for Atlantis” by Richard Barcott is yet another entry in a long line of books dealing with the legendary lost city. On the whole it is a fairly interesting read, although the plot lacks depth. I was hoping for a novel comparable to the kind written by Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul but this misses the mark. While not boring, I was disappointed to see that it is only 188 pp. long, hardly long enough to fully develop the plot enough for my tastes. However, for someone who simply wants a quick summer read, this book does fit the bill. It’s easy to understand without a lot of technical lingo and has quite a bit of humor included as well. It is also original in its storyline of seeking Atlantis purely for the historical value, instead of because of some secret weapon, treasure, etc. Perhaps the best thing for a reader considering this book to do is simply read the synopsis online and decides for him or herself if the book is too light, too heavy or just right for them. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

    Jud H wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • Guns and Miners

    Guns and Miners

    by Dale Walker
    • Rated 5 stars

    CoalEnergy Mining Engineer Steve Dawson is excited about his promotion to VP of Operations for Hemlock Coal-it’s the opportunity he’s been hoping for and it will be a chance to start over after his recent break-up with a long-time girlfriend. The down side is that he’ll be relocating to a remote corner of Appalachia in eastern Kentucky, which is a world unto itself. From the very first day, Dawson rubs the locals the wrong way, voicing plans to implement a safety program and a stricter maintenance schedule for the mine. He doesn’t know he’s made enemies until he narrowly avoids an accident caused by a cut brake line. What he doesn’t know is that the mine is at the center of a private war, led by none other than the brother of the Governor of Kentucky, a retired two-star general, who is using the mine to stockpile military grade weapons with the help of several Hemlock employees. Dawson’s world begins to collapse when a sniper rifle and ammunition are found on CoalEnergy’s corporate jet and he is forced into a partnership with the FBI when the rifle is used to kill an alleged Al Qaeda cell leader, as well as an FBI agent. With the FBI chomping at the bit to arrest him, a reporter who will do anything for an exclusive and a retired general with an axe to grind, Dawson wonders if he’ll survive living in Appalachia.

    “Guns and Miners” by Dale Walker takes the reader into the mysterious world of Appalachia. The setting for the novel is in Eastern Kentucky mining country, ironically in a town called Hazard, where everyone is related to everyone else and visitors stick out like a sore thumb. I learned quite a lot about the mining industry from this book and it is readily apparent that the author knows his material. I am impressed by the fact that the typical stereotypes, while utilized, are not overdone to the point of being offensive, i.e., the opinion that such communities protect their own at all costs. The novel is quite short, being only 227 pp. but it starts off fast and doesn’t stop until the final page. I am pleased to give this book five of five stars and look forward to more by this author.

    Jud H wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
  • by Richard Hicks
    • Rated 5 stars

    Meet Eddie DeSilvia, immediate past police chief of San Diego and a man looking forward to plenty of rest and relaxation on his boat “Make My Day.” He has hardly hung up his shield when Pauline Graham, a friend and psychologist, asks him to look into the death of a friend’s father. The friend, Allison Graham, is suspected of helping her terminally ill father commit suicide, an act that is a crime in California. DeSilvia does a little digging and in the process realizes that the evidence just doesn’t add up and that the truth may be found 30 years in the past. He knows he’s getting too close when someone tries to sink his boat and, failing to kill him that way, cuts the brake line of his car. DeSilvia is determined not to throw in the towel but will he survive long enough to determine the truth?

    “Murder by the Numbers: The Righteous One,” by Richard Hicks, is the inaugural Enneagram novel that introduces recently retired police chief Eddie DeSilvia. I love mysteries and this one doesn’t disappoint. The character development has been done especially well and the stage is set for a future romance between DeSilvia and Graham. They make a good team in this novel and could easily become one of the better pairings in mystery literature today. One of the most interesting facets of the novel is the weaving of the Enneagram Personality Typing system into the plot. For those of you unfamiliar with this system, as I was prior to reading this book, it is a system similar to the widely- known Myers-Briggs test. DeSilvia and the psychologist Graham make extensive use of the Enneagram system in figuring out who might or might not have had a motivation for killing Allison’s father. This is the most unique methodology I’ve seen in a novel since the Lincoln Rhyme novels by Jeffery Deaver. I am pleased to give this novel high marks on all counts and look very forward to future novels in this series.

    Jud H wrote this review Friday, November 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )
  • 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 Tuesday, November 17 2009. ( 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 )
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