A Breed Apart Review

Every once in a while a book comes along that is so much fun to read that I have to share it here. A Breed Apart is an emotional romp that I did not want to end. I would love to see what happens to Holt, Kira and Zoe further on in their lives. Here is the review I wrote for Night Owl Romance:

When Kira McGovern graduated from veterinarian school, she knew her life was about to change forever. Due to the recent death of her sister and brother-in-law, Kira became sole provider for her infant niece. Unfortunately, if she did not find a permanent job and a place to live within three months, her niece would go into foster care.

Arriving at the ranch where she was to work, she was quickly fired by the son of the man who hired her. Desperate, she stood her ground and kept the job.

Holt Crockett took one look at the tall blond and tried to brush her off, thinking she was there to visit his womanizing brother, Treat. When he found out his father had hired Kira as ranch veterinarian to solve the puzzle of the sick cattle, Holt was furious.

As ranch manager, he was in charge of hiring and firing. Instead, his father had not only gone behind his back, but also hired a woman no less. He was particularly upset with the incentives his father had promised her if she found a cure, including a percentage of his ranch, and Holt did everything he could to drive her away.

Tension mounted as Kira raced to find a cure, and Holt had to destroy a growing number of his diseased herd. Time was of the essence or Holt would soon lose all his cattle and the ranch.

A Breed Apart begins with high emotion and never lets the reader down throughout this fast-paced and captivating story. Two people are struggling with unexpected life situations, unable to trust their feelings and unable to trust one another, yet both needing to work together for the greater good of both. Emotions are raw and tension is high. Several unexpected events fail to diminish the growing emotional powder keg between the two antagonists.

Charlotte Raby has written a powerful novel with strong characters that are facing life-changing situations. A strong supporting cast adds depth to a story whereby the only disappointment is that it comes to its inevitable conclusion. The reader will certainly hope more stories are forthcoming from this insightful writer.

What book have you read lately that has made a strong impression on you?

Winter in Madrid Review

C. J. Sansom’s Winter in Madrid is a period novel set in the later years of 1930s to 1947 in Franco’s Spain. Three men, who had attended prestigious Rookwood School in Great Britain and had become childhood friends, proceeded along divergent roads as adults.

Bernie Piper became a Communist and fought in the Spanish Civil War that broke out in 1936. During the war, he was reported missing and presumed dead. At the request of his parents, his friend Harry Brett traveled to Spain seeking information. The Russians, then in control, thought he was a spy and gave Harry 24 hours to leave the country. The Civil War ended in 1939.

Shortly thereafter, Harry, with great reluctance, was recruited by the Secret Service and sent to the British Embassy in Spain as a translator to spy on a third Rookwood alumni Sandy Forsyth. Forsyth had become a Madrid businessman who was under intense scrutiny by the British for his shady practices and association with Franco.

Add to the mix Sandy’s girlfriend, Barbara Clare. She had fallen in love with Bernie when she was a Red Cross nurse during the civil war, but now lived with Sandy. She was intent on finding out whether or not Bernie was still alive and if so, where he was held.

After an intriguing prologue, Winter in Madrid seemed to lag until about mid-way through the novel when the story picks back up again. The novel finishes with a stunning and unexpected ending.

The story is told from varying points of view that at times can be a little distracting. However, the main characters have the necessary depth to support their motivations and carry the story forward. All characters are provided ample opportunities to play their respective role in history.

The author ably paints a vivid portrait of post-civil war Spain; the grit, the devastation, the muddled politics.

Mr. Sansom seems well prepared in the necessary historical detail of the time in order to write such a strong, sweeping, political thriller. History buffs are sure to appreciate his intensive research. Part historical novel, part romance, part thriller, Winter in Madrid provides a thought-provoking look at a troubled time in Spain’s history.

You can buy Winter in Madrid at Amazon.com.

A World I Never Made - Review

Pat Nolan flies to Paris to identify the body of his estranged daughter, Megan. She seemed fine when he spoke to her on Christmas Day, and her suicide several days later does not make sense.

When Pat arrives in Paris, he discovers it is not his daughter’s body. Believing she is in danger and the suicide note holds important clues to her whereabouts, he identifies the body as Megan and has it cremated the same day as requested in the note. He then begins a search for his missing daughter that takes him farther, physically and emotionally, than he ever thought possible.

With very few clues, and the help of beautiful French detective Catherine Laurence, Pat travels across France to such places as Marrakech, Casablanca, Tangiers, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Along the way, he becomes a target of the French police and a band of international terrorists.

While the reader follows Pat and Catherine on their increasingly dangerous journey, the author tells Megan’s story beginning a year before her alleged suicide. She spent the previous ten years traveling throughout Europe as a writer while meeting men willing to pay for her companionship. Along the way, she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. Lahani, it turns out, is not the typical mark and Megan becomes involved in a game far more dangerous and widespread than she could ever imagine.

A World I Never Made includes an interesting and diverse cast of characters. Besides those already mentioned, others include French Deputy Chief Inspector Genevieve LeGrand; Marie Sancerre, a 14 year-old street flower vendor who keeps popping up in strange places; Daniel Pelletier, Catherine’s beloved uncle and retired French gendarme (police officer); Annabella Jeritza, a Gypsy fortuneteller who befriended Megan; Annabella’s grandson Doro; Abdullah al-Azim, a Syrian pharmacist who helps Megan when she needs him most; and Max French, an American FBI agent.

James LePore has written a fascinating suspense story of power and treachery, broken relationships and redemption. Interweaving the two story lines throughout the book can sometimes cause the reader to lose track of the relationship between characters if one is not paying close attention. However, telling Pat and Megan’s stories at the same time adds impact as they head towards a stunning and unexpected conclusion.

An attorney for over twenty years, LePore’s first novel is an impressive start to a great second career. I highly recommend the compelling suspense story of vivid characters and haunting storyline that will stay with the reader long after the final page.

You can buy the Kindle edition of A World I Never Made at Amazon.com.

Starvation Lake - Review

Jack Blackburn, Starvation Lake’s legendary junior hockey coach, disappeared when his snowmobile fell through the ice on Starvation Lake; his body never found. Ten years later, pieces of his snowmobile surfaced on another lake five miles away.

Gus Carpenter was the team’s star goalie until he left town in shame after blowing the one opportunity the team had to win the state hockey championship. He recently returned to Starvation Lake after a failed attempt at a career with a major Detroit, MI newspaper to become the editor of the Pilot.

Determined to solve the mysterious disappearance of his longtime hockey coach, Gus uses his investigative skills to sort through the myriad rumors, false leads, and taunts by those in town who have secrets of their own. The deeper he digs into the past the more obvious it is someone does not want him to succeed.

At the same time, he finds himself embroiled in a possible lawsuit and prison time when he will not reveal his source in a series of investigative stories he wrote while at the Detroit paper.

Bryan Gruley, award-winning Chicago bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, has written a highly entertaining first novel. His insider knowledge into the world of journalism is apparent in the vivid descriptions and attention to detail.

Starvation Lake is a violent novel of betrayal and pain, and an example of how far some people will go to bring a dying town back to life. Frequent flashbacks to hockey scenes of the past may bother some people, but they contain important information into the motives and behavior of the players and town people years later.

Starvation Lake is a haunting story of harsh reality in a small town. The well-developed characters make it easy for the reader to become embroiled in their lives. What becomes of the small town and its people in the aftermath of the scandal? Not only does one hope that there will be another Gus Carpenter tale, but that this is only the first of many fine Bryan Gruley novels.

You can buy Starvation Lake at Amazon.com.