Savage Summer: Ruth Bainbridge

This Mystery-Thriller Has It All!

Savage Summer by Ruth Bainbridge is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read, it combines wit, humor, intricate plotting, suspense, and a cast full of likeable characters that you won’t soon forget.   

Curt Savage is our wounded hero. With his fiancée murdered, he’s struggling to get his life back together—all so he can track down the as yet unknown psycho that killed the love of his life. It’s at the start of this journey that Fate lends a hand. It’s in the form of new buddy Michelle “Mike” O’Brien. She’s one of the most engaging and complex characters I’ve had the pleasure to meet. And she appears at just the right time because it’s not long before Curt accepts his first case. Enlisted by his feisty neighbor Marge Danvers to solve the mystery of who poisoned her adorable dog Mooch, Mike is right there to help, as is Wolfie, an old friend from Curt’s police force days. Curt, Mike, Marge and Wolfie comprise the formidable and exceeding entertaining team that serve as the heart and soul of this novel. Game on!  

What happens next is a juggling act that had me holding my breath. It’s Fifty Shades of Ominous as the simple case of doggie felony quickly turns into something much more sinister. Out of the blue, an anonymous caller dubbed “Dr. Shadows” feeds Curt clues, but while the unknown tipster professes to know something about Ruth’s murder, can someone disguising his voice with a synthesizer be trusted? It’s what Curt is determined to find out, and when he dives down that rabbit hole, replete with tunnels leading to the other side of the moon, we go right along with him. Before he knows it, Curt is pulled into the maelstrom of a conspiracy that reaches into the depths of depravity.

The dialogue is wonderfully written as are the action scenes. There wasn’t a false note in the book that kept me on the edge of my seat. And I agree that Savage Summer is reminiscent of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It really is a woven tapestry. I commend the author for her attention to detail and cleverness at inventing a story I totally and completely lost myself in. And the twists? They don’t stop coming until the very last page. Loved the stay at The Abyssinian, but that’s all I’m going to say although I really want to say more! Like a little something about the car ride … phone call … WHA’?!!! Talk about the rug being pulled out from under me! The cliffhanger that I never saw coming had me hungering for more!

If you’ve ever had a midnight craving where you’re not quite sure what you want, this is it! This is especially true if you love mystery-thrillers, spine-tingling suspense and a whole lot more. So give into the temptation. Read Savage Summer. The Curt Savage Mysteries are addictive, but I’m not going to fight this particular urge. It’s too much fun. It’s why I’ve already downloaded Savage Fall, the second in the series. I so can’t wait to find out what happens next! A big squee and five stars! 

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REVIEW OF BROKEN: Matthew Storm

Blasted Through This One!

I read the first few pages of about twenty books before settling on Broken by Matthew Storm, but the opening chapter grabbed me and never let up. I ended up blasting through the suspense-thriller. In fact, I became so obsessed with finishing it, that I found myself thinking about it during the day when involved in other pursuits. 

Nevada James heads the cast of characters. I’ll admit that I didn’t take to her right away, but I consider myself correct in not forming an immediate attachment. The skilled author was more than correct in letting the rapport build in this way. She’s revealed in bits and pieces, sort of like a strip tease. What we find out intrigues us enough to spark a need to know more! Nevada is like a prickly pear. The only difference is that her inside is as hostile and unwelcoming as the outside. The former police detective is quite the difficult person to get to know. What with her alcoholism and acting out. Add in a smart mouth, someone always willing to pick a fight, and a too quick trigger finger, and you have a rough idea of why people have pretty much given up on her. And why not since she’s given up on herself? In fact, the only saving grace here is why she’s given up on herself. Discovering this makes all the difference in the world.

Broken begins with a knock on the door—literally. Lucky for Nevada she answers it and finds that, after sleeping and drinking her way through the past year, someone wants to hire her for a job … someone with a fancy lawyer that has two first names … someone willing to pay her big bucks just to hear him talk. Money? Yeah, that’ll get anyone’s attention and so she goes to sit, listen, and collect. Nice.

It turns out that the client is mafia boss Alan Davies. You’d think people in his position could handle anything, but not the disappearance of his wife and child. The situation calls for an ace detective, something Nevada used to be. But she isn’t at all sure that Davies doesn’t have a hand in that vanishing act, or that he’s even telling the truth. She’s about to take the money and run when Davies mentions her old boss Dan Evans and that Evans recommended her for this assignment. It’s enough to get her to reverse her stance and sign on.

That’s about as much as I’m going to say about the plot because twists abound and the surprises are half the fun of reading this thriller. The dialogue is very well handled. Crackling with authenticity and laced with humor, the storyline speeds along. If any fledging authors want to learn about pacing, I suggest they read this book to see how it’s done!

All-in-all, a great read and one I thoroughly enjoyed! There were one or two tiny mistakes (I always find something!), but the story is extremely well-edited and written so grammar Nazis take heart. The only false note for me came at the end … not the very end … but the end before the real end. I figured Nevada would see that one coming, but she didn’t and I chose to overlook it since it led to a very satisfying conclusion. I mean overwhelming satisfying.

Five stars to Matthew Storm for Broken. In fact, I was so impressed by his writing that I’m going to check out a couple more of his novels. I figure if he can write this well, that I’d be foolish not to hitch another ride! Can’t wait to see what else his agile mind has been up to!   

RATING: 5.0 

REVIEW OF CREATURES OF APPETITE: Todd Travis

Whoa! Prepare to be Surprised!

Picked up CREATURES OF APPETITE by Todd Travis during a recent book promo. It was a little darker than what I’d been reading lately—all about a serial killer that preys on young kids. It’s a genre bender. While listed as a mystery-thriller, it could just as easily been categorized under horror. Think Dean Koontz.

For me, the beginning chapters were a love/hate relationship. I thought some of the writing was good and other parts repetitive and difficult to follow. Quick transitions and redundant dialogue made the opening a slow go, but I did like the characters and where the story was headed. I figured if something works, I’d give it a pass and kept reading.  

About four or five chapters in, Mr. Travis hits his stride. I loved the protagonist Jacob Thorne. He’s a prickly s.o.b. with a personality better suited for a job in the DMV, but there he is, a profiler with the illustrious FBI. Well, was a profiler. In fact, he’s brought out of an enforced retirement to try to stop a serial killer dubbed The Iceman. Unfortunately for him, he’s saddled with Special Agent Emma Kane, a former cop who’s recovering from a traumatic event. Does Thorne relish a partner with shaky hands? Who would, but most of us would be more tactful in expressing dissatisfaction. Let me put it this way, Thorne does not hold back.

Given that this is Todd Travis’ first book, I kept thinking that I can’t wait to watch him develop. I was impressed by the writing and wished the very few mistakes were cleaned up. I mean, why not? This is stellar work and deserves stellar handling. The plot was intriguing, the characters richly embraced, and the twists? They had my head spinning. I especially loved the one at the end. No spoilers here! Suffice to say that Kane finally learns why Thorne plays chess in that unique way. She keeps hammering him with that question throughout and the answer had me laughing out loud.   

If you can handle grisly crimes, a scumbag killer, a profiler who clearly never read Norman Vincent Peale’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, a rookie agent that better get her act together fast, and assorted police officials who would rather be right than catch a killer, then this one’s for you. I highly recommend CREATURES OF APPETITE and enjoyed the walk on the evil side. It’s creepy, full of memorable scenes and action, and entertaining to boot. Mr. Travis, I’m keeping my eye on you! Can’t wait to read what you come up with next!

Final rating: Five Stars

REVEW OF TIN GOD: Stacy Green

If You Like Taut, This One’s for You

TIN GOD by Stacy Greene is the latest in a string a really good books I’ve downloaded lately. It extends the streak and assures me that great writing is alive and well. 

Jaymee Ballard is a woman with a lot of problems piled on her young shoulders. It’s not bad enough that her boyfriend ran off with the rent money and that her friend/employee Rebecca Newton winds up dead. In the first chapter Jaymee is awarded the privilege of discovering that body. Yuck! That’s enough to make you lose your lunch for about the next ten years. Add in a father I so wanted to punch in the face and one big, humongous, dark secret, and you’ve got a pressure cooker that’s set to explode.

As for pacing, while the first chapter is engaging, it’s not until a couple chapters in that a twist comes out of left field and hits you in the face! It’ll have you shouting, “Wha’ happened?!!!” What can I say? Me liked! I mean, really, really!!! I was so excited that I tore through 30% of the book in one sitting. Only the need to recharge my kindle made me put it down!

As for the protagonist in this story, Jaymee is just such a dear. I became very protective of this woman trying so desperately to get her life back on track. Given her chaotic/abusive background, I well understood how much more difficult that can be. Abuse strips you of self-confidence and makes you very socially awkward most times. Consequently, she keeps quiet when she should be vocal and draw a boundary, and says too much when she should shut up! And talk about trusting the wrong people!!! Yikes!!! Ms. Green has crafted a perfect central character that we can identify with as well as empathize with what she’s going through. But the hurdles Jaymee faces are bigger than her young years and experience can handle. She needs help in solving what’s going on in her life and Rebecca’s murder, and it comes in the form of Nick Samuels. He’s a reporter that was married to Jaymee’s deceased best friend, Lana. Lana was also murdered in a similar way to Rebecca. Could there be a connection? That’s what reporter Nick Samuels aims to find out.

Tin God is an emotional, character-driven story. While the plot is strong, it’s the emotional connection we make with Jaymee that puts this one over the top and makes me so enthused about recommending. I couldn’t stop reading … and couldn’t stop being surprised! If you want to be immersed in a story that keeps you guessing and wondering what the heck is going on, this one is for you! Five stars and a standing ovation for Ms. Green. Truly a perfect read!