Detective Michael Bennett is trying to keep his family together, no easy feat when his children are growing up before his eyes - and one of his children is serving time behind bars. Keeping to family traditions is important for keeping a sense of 'normal' and one tradition he is determined to keep alive is the annual family outing to the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Everything seems to be going to plan, until a man drives his vehicle into the packed crowd moments before the truck explodes. In the ensuing panic Bennett keeps his wits about him and tracks the terrorist - but what he finds is not what he expected.
Drawn into the case because he is the only person who has seen the suspect (and because he is who he is), Bennett finds himself working alongside the enigmatic Darya Kuznetsova. Darya is Russian, which helps immensely when you are dealing with a predominantly Russian speaking community, but she is also keeping secrets. Determined to solve the case even if it ruffles the feathers of the lead FBI investigator, Bennett goes out on a limb to solve the case - not an easy thing to do when you don't know who to trust and there are multiple players looking for their suspect.
Detective Michael Bennett is one of my favourite characters, and while I was dubious that having Bookshots in the series was a good idea, I have found that they have added to the series without making it overly complicated. Manhunt is a great addition to the Michael Bennett series, and also a great addition to the Bookshots series - though it may be a little hard to follow if you have not read the other books in the Michael Bennettt series.
If you like this book then try:
- The end (ebook) by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
- The witnesses (ebook) by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
- The shut-in by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski
- Private Royals by James Patterson and Rees Jones
- Heist by James Patterson and Rees Jones
- The pretender (ebook) by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle
- Black and Blue by James Patterson and Candice Fox
- Let's play make-believe by James Patterson and James O. Born
- Chase by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
- Airport code red by James Patterson and Michael White
Reviewed by Brilla
Her entire life, Wilhelmina 'Wil' Heidle has known she is a spare child, the girl child her mother desperately wanted and that her father didn't need. Her oldest brother Owen is going to be King after her father, and her brother Baren was the spare child - which left Wil and her brother Gerdie as the useless spares. Determined to find her place in the family Wil takes of advantage of the fact she is dark haired and looks nothing like the rest of her family to become the King's spy. She can leave and enter the palace undetected, and she can defend herself in a fight, which makes her uniquely placed to move through the crowds of the capital running errands for her father or her brother Gerdie - who is also determined to prove that he is not a useless spare by using alchemy to create weapons that add to their fathers power.
Wil is used to being forgotten and overlooked, she is used to proving herself for every single scrap of attention from her father - she is even used to being deadly, but not from a single touch of her hand. When she is cornered in a fight Wil discovers that she can turn living things into glittering gems with a single touch, and she is horrified when she takes a mans life. Desperate to keep her secret, Wil takes risks, and when she takes another life she enters a banishment that takes her far from home and the people she loves. Her one hope is to find someone who can remove the curse, but nothing seems to be going to plan for Wil, and she soon finds herself far from home and caught up in a most unexpected situation. Wil is used to proving herself, and working hard to prove her worth to her father, and she is slowly coming to realise that there is more to the world than she ever knew.
The glass spare is the first book in a duology, and while I was a bit disappointed because I had picked it up thinking it was a standalone, I am now quite looking forward to the sequel as the story slowly built towards a series of revelations that deserved to be explored over two books. I can probably guess what some of the story will be in the sequel, I really enjoyed the journey as DeStefano has written the character of Wil with just the right dose of humanity and magic to make her relateable and fantastical. I have seen some negative reviews about The glass spare, mainly that it was cliché and a romance novel hidden as fantasy - but both of these descriptions are both overly simplistic and basically unfair.
DeStefano has taken an old story, King Midas and his golden touch, and spun it into a new tale that was well crafted and a brilliant escape from the real world. You should definitely read this story for yourself and make up your own mind - don't let the critics put you off because you'll be the one that misses out! Now comes the wait for the sequel, hopefully it won't be too far away.
If you like this book then try:
Cody Thurston lives and works in a pub in East London, happy to live a simple life and leave his past in the past. When he sends a group of trouble makers on their way one night he has no idea how badly that is going to come back and bite him where it hurts. Rather than making everyone safer he finds himself on the run accused of crimes he didn't commit.
For Nate Miller Thurston is dealt with through a neat frame up, but he has underestimated Thurston. A former special forces soldier, Thurston is resourceful and highly skilled - not to mention thirsty for revenge. Miller can run, but he can't hide, and Thurston is determined to see his mission through. Miller is used to getting his own way and coming out on top, but sometimes it's not the biggest bad in town that wins - it's the hero no one sees coming. If Thurston can pull off this mission of a life time he will save lives and stop a flood of illicit drugs hitting the market, but first he has to survive everything Miller can throw at him.
Absolute zero is a thrill ride and a great addition to the Bookshots range - especially for readers who enjoy books that are more at the thriller end of the spectrum rather than the crime end. Patterson and Chatterton have created a great character in Cody Thurston and I was hooked on the story from the start, wondering where the story could possibly lead next. Hopefully there are more books from this combination of authors because I am hooked on their character development and fast paced plotting! Best read in one sitting so you don't miss a second of the action and the twists and turns.
If you like this book then try:
- The end (ebook) by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
- The witnesses (ebook) by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
- The shut-in by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski
- Private Royals by James Patterson and Rees Jones
- Heist by James Patterson and Rees Jones
- The pretender (ebook) by James Patterson and Andrew Bourelle
- Black and Blue by James Patterson and Candice Fox
- Let's play make-believe by James Patterson and James O. Born
- Chase by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
- Airport code red by James Patterson and Michael White
Reviewed by Brilla
Into the bright unknown is book three in the Gold Seer trilogy and while you can read it as a stand alone novel I highly recommend reading book one, Walk on Earth a stranger, and Like a river glorious first. This review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first books in the series.
Despite having the odds stacked against her, Leah Westfall has travelled from her home in Georgia all the way to California. It was a journey that started with the murder of her parents, and she has seen both hardship and joy on her journey. Since she settled in the town of Glory she has even dared to dream of a safe future for herself and the circle of close friends who know her secret - that she can sense the presence of gold and even call it to her. It is a secret that she keeps closely guarded, but her uncle Hiram knew, and because he coveted it so much he brought Leah to the attention of James Henry Hardwick.
Hardwick is a wealthy man, used to getting what he wants, and he is willing to play dirty to get what he wants. Leah was able to make a deal with him that would see Glory with its own town charter, keeping it safe from claim jumpers and people who wanted to take over the town - but Hardwick is yet to deliver. When news arrives that property belonging to the Joyner family has arrived in San Francisco and that it must be collected or it will be sold, Leah and her friends head to San Francisco to reclaim the property and try and get their town charter.
When they arrive in San Francisco they find things are not what they expected. Becky Joyner is unable to reclaim her property because in the eyes of the law it belongs to her husband, and since he is dead the only choice they have is to try and buy it at auction - but Becky is stubborn and refuses to pay for her own property, so they decide to take some risk instead. Becky is not the only one who is disappointed, Leah and the rest of her party are also disappointed as it seems that Hardwick has a stranglehold on San Francisco that is blocking all their hopes and dreams. With all their futures on the line Leah must find the strength and courage to fight for what she believes in - at a time when a woman is property, and the law favours the rich and powerful.
Into the bright unknown is a very satisfying end to the Gold seer trilogy. From the start Carson has woven her own magic, using all her skills as a writer to take a time in history and add a subtle layer of magic that is totally believable. It is too easy to forget that women were treated as property for centuries, and that people of colour were once treated as second class citizens and slaves. I found the historical setting fascinating and very sympathetic to the time - you can see the research involved when you read the acknowledgements and recommended books across the series. I was a little worried that the ending of the series would be a fizzle or a cop out, but Carson has brought the series to an end in a believable way that sits well with her attention to the rest of the series.
I started reading this series because I had read Carson's previous series, and I wasn't sure if I would like it because it seems like a historical series rather than a fantasy series, but I loved it from the start and I'm very glad I gave it a chance. This is an excellent series and this final book was a challenge to review because I didn't want to spoil the surprises and sweet moments that make it such a great read. Here's hoping there are more series from Carson in the future - whether they are complete fantasy or set in our own world/past they are sure to delight and engage readers of all ages.
If you like this book then try:
Reviewed by Brilla
A scandal in Battersea is the twelfth book in the Elemental masters series and while it can be read as a stand alone novel it is best enjoyed when you read the series in order - or if you at least read A study in sable first.
Christmas is rapidly approaching and it is an exciting time for Sarah and Nan and their young charge Suki - especially when they have the patronage of Lord Alderscroft. When you have all the benefits of wealth and power it is a simple thing to make a child happy, especially when you can spoil them with treats and open their eyes with wonder. It is also a serious time however, for there is always some danger threatening the people of London, and when you are able to communicate with spirits or read minds there is always a part to play in defending their city for Sarah and Nan. They are not alone though as they are surrounded by psychics and elemental masters who understand the world around them and know how to protect them and guide them. Sarah and Nan are happy to play their part, and when they are asked to help search institutions for the Gifted who have been labelled mad they have no idea that they are going to stumble across a threat to London that could destroy them all.
Someone is seeking Power, and they have found a book that seems to promise exactly that. Alexandre Harcourt is a young man of some means who is determined to make a life for himself - one that has Power and wealth. His desires for Power have been thwarted by having to live within his means, his finances carefully controlled by a trust fund that he must jump through hoops to access, but now he has found a Power that may change all that. His greed for more may cost more than he can bear though, as the Power he calls demands sacrifice, and it will not be satisfied with scraps or small offerings, and what it demands could expose Alexandre to the White Lodge that protects London. With each new demand Alexandre realises that he is rapidly getting in over his head, but it may be too late to stop - and it may be too late to save London if Sarah, Nan, and their allies can't untangle what is happening to the young women they are finding wandering the streets as empty shells.
The Elemental masters series is an interesting one, not only because it is set in an historical time that adds a complexity to the stories, but also because it has taken familiar stories and breathed new life into them. Through this series we have seen characters use a variety of magical creatures and resources to change their fates, and seen characters woven from one story into another to create a complex and thoroughly engrossing world. A scandal in Battersea is one of the books in the series that seems to divert from the core idea of using fairytales and traditional stories as source material - although you could also argue that as it is the second book that draws on the great Sherlock Holmes and his world that is it still literature based.
A scandal in Battersea was an enjoyable and thoroughly engrossing novel that I read in a single day because I didn't want to put it down. This is a solid addition to the series and grows the connections between the different groups/people that have made up this world so far. It would not be the best book to start if you are reading the series for the first time, but it was comfortable and rewarding to spend time with Nan, Sarah, and their allies once again.
If you like this book then try:
Reviewed by Brilla
