Last Passage to Santiago

Last Passage to Santiago opens with a daring kidnapping, and continues with a tantalizing tale through the historic streets of Buenos Aires and beyond.

Stephanie Ably-Ranier and her husband Ben are on a three week vacation. After spending a week at a beautiful hotel in Argentina, they are booked for a two-week luxury cruise heading around South America visiting Uruguay, the Falklands, and ending up in Santiago.

Stephie is excited to walk the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires, visiting the many historic sites, feasting on the local restaurant fare, and immersing herself in the enticing beat of the tango-loving city. Ben, however, has other ideas. Unbeknownst to his wife, he has brought his mistress along, daringly ensconcing her in the same hotel and later on the cruise ship so that he can visit her anytime he wishes.

As Stephie finds that she is increasingly alone, she begins to realize someone is following her on her daily walks. She senses the movements of a dwarf who seems to appear where ever she goes. Due to her position with the ultra-secret National Security Agency, she begins to wonder if the apparent stalker is job-related.

During their visit in the South American city, they run into an eclectic group of fellow passengers headed for the same cruise. As they prepare to board the ocean liner for the next portion of their trip, Ben realizes his passions now rest elsewhere as Stephie senses the breakdown of their marriage.

On the cruise ship, Stephie attends a talk given by the ship’s naturalist, Mike Lambert, and finds herself increasingly drawn to the region’s penguin rookeries. While unexpectedly stranded in the Falkland Islands while her husband and the rest of the passengers continue their journey, she finds herself spending time getting to know the handsome Lambert. It does not take her long to realize what is missing from her life.

Last Passage to Santiago is a riveting story of love and betrayal, trust and deceit. Stephanie and Ben never expected their three-week vacation would threaten their very existence and change their lives forever.

John F. Rooney has created vivid characters and beautiful scenic locales bringing the story to life with ever increasing speed. Last Passage to Santiago simmers with passion and lust, and proves difficult to put down as it heads toward an ending the reader suspects, but is still surprised by the unexpected.

This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys passionate love stories intertwined with international intrigue, seductive secrets, and gripping hot, tropical romance.


You can buy Last Passage to Santiago 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.

The Ingredients of a Good Thriller

In The Ingredients of a Good Thriller, Chris Wood has written a guide for anyone interested in writing books or screenplays in the thriller genre. Especially aimed at new mystery writers, directors, or actors, this companion piece is not meant to be complete, but a resource to draw from for anyone who would like to be a successful writer.

Filled with insights and anecdotes, Wood’s subtitle reads, “A simple guide to noir, cops, gangsters, heists, and badasses in book and film, and how to make that genre work for you as a writer.” A long subtitle, but an apt description for what the author admits is a quick and easy read.

Subdivided into five areas, the book begins with basic starting points that include different types of thrillers, plots, settings, crime scenes, and a good start. The second section describes various character types such as the sleuth, the sidekick, the villain, the victim, the anti-hero, the red herring, and the enabler.

Wood also has sections on showing and shaping characters, and approaches and details. The later section includes discussion regarding atmosphere, how to make the reader flinch, how to make a kill a crowd pleaser, and how to use suspense, humor, and reality.

How to give your writing a real feel with research, details, and facts will enlighten the beginning writer. There are times in a story when too much detail is given; for example, Wood suggests knowing the precise location of the vending machines at FBI Headquarters may be more detail than the reader needs. Such detail can slow the narrative flow and cause the reader to lose interest.

A recommended list of crime films and crime books, many of them British, will provide the budding thriller writer with plenty of examples of how to write to impress an audience. By no means a definitive list, there are numerous quality and historic movies and books to study and emulate.

The closing chapter of The Ingredients of a Good Thriller provides an essential outline of what is necessary to write a thriller, book, or movie that will drive readers and viewers to long for more from the author.

Throughout the book, Wood uses examples from well-known books, feature films, and television series to make his point. The chapters are short and to the point, and would make an excellent outline for those who want to delve deeper into any one area.

You can purchase Ingredients of a Good Thriller at Amazon.com.