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 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.

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.

Noir Fiction

Recently on BellaOnline's Mystery Books site, I posted a couple of articles about noir fiction. Although noir fiction began in the late 1920's and early 1930's, it reached its heyday during the 1950's.

Barry Gifford founded Black Lizard Books in 1984, and was instrumental in the resurgence of the noir genre. In the 1990's and into the 21st century, the writings of Ray Ring, Ed Gorman, Lawrence Block, Elmore Leonard, James Ellroy, and Patricia Highsmith continue the tradition.

Click on the links to the articles for further information:

Noir Fiction
Modern Noir

If you are a fan of noir fiction, who is your favorite author? What time period do you enjoy the most?

Better yet, have you ever written in the noir genre?