Michael A. Draper's Blog, page 29

A novel dealing with mistreatment of teenage boys by adults

There are many aspects to this complex novel.

A quiet cul-de-sack in England is changed when a family named Pearson moves in. Something about the history of the head of the family is discovered and neighbors become merciless in their treatment of the family.

Eric Pearson has called police about evidence he has on a case of national interest but when police review his information they feel it is uncorroborated and insufficient for further action. Pearson also takes photos of the neighbors as they pick on his family.

His family lived in a commune called Children of Solomon Pearson is charged with inappropriate behavior there and so is asked to leave the commune. He is bitter about this and feels the action was taken without sufficient proof.

Meanwhile there is a man found guilty of crimes against children but claims others were also involved. The case doesn't seem to be going anywhere until the body of another teenage boy is found.

Besides a story dealing with a delicate subject, the author details the emotional toll this has on officials investigating the case.

I enjoyed the story but felt it was slow to get started and there were parts of the book that were difficult to read due to the subject matter.

"You're a devil in disguise" song lyrics

A thriller based on a true story, "Speak of the Devil" is a novel with much of the story taken from real MS-13 cases. There are villains in abundance with this particular gang reigning havoc in the Washington, D.C. area.

The story tells of a gutsy young woman, Anna Curtis whose position is a sex crimes prosecutor. Characters are the key to most well written novels and in this story, the characters leap from the pages. At the start of the novel, there is a horrific murder with men charging into a brothel and decapitating one of the employees. It seems like an open and shut case but witnesses are reluctant to come forward.

Anna's boyfriend is Jack Bailey who is at the U.S. Attorney's office, chief of the Homicide Unit.

There is biting social commentary on a legal system that fails to protect witnesses. We also have a love story between Anna and Jack and we become part of their wedding plans. The author writes an intelligent novel and asks about the ways that love can prevail over violence.

I don't want to get into the plot but found the story one I couldn't put down. It is an excellent read with real situations and mounting suspense.

4 1/2 stars.

Interesting mystery that takes place in Vermont

A housebreaker is entering the homes of wealthy residents and leaving a note that they've been tagged. Then the housebreaker usually helps himself to a snack and leaves.

He picks the wrong home when he breaks into the home of a gangster and goes into the man's computer. Unfortunately for him, the gangster had a security system that filmed the housebreaker in action. When the gangster saw this, he ordered a hit on the housebreaker.

Another home he breaks into has an old suitcase that a man staying in the home had in the basement. The housebreaker spots evidence of what might have been mass killings that took place years ago but doesn't know what to do with this.

The thief uses the name Dan Kravitz and wants to return to this home a second time to see if he can get more information that might be useful to the authorities. However, the man is waiting for him and in a confrontation, Kravitz barely escapes.

The man who was doing the hit on Kravitz takes him too lightly and, what happens, brings the police into the story. The lead police officer is Joe Gunther of the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. He and his men lead the investigation.

The suspense is properly maintained and the author provides good descriptions of the various cities in Vermont where the story takes place. The dialogue is also nicely handled.

"Never go back", an excellent thriller.

I'm an avid Lee Child fan and was delighted to have the opportunity to review his latest Jack Reacher novel, "Never Go Back."
In this engaging thriller, Jack Reacher returns to his old unit from the snows of South Dakota to the 110th MP Special Unit in the Washington, D.C. area.
Things aren't what he expected. The commanding officer he wanted to see is in jail and there are charges against Reacher from when he was on active duty. Also, because of the current military situation, he's ordered back to active duty in order to face military charges.
The central story focuses on Jack proving these charges are wrong and getting the prior unit commander out of the difficulty she was in. Since there are members of her unit recently deployed to Afghanistan, Jack considers if any of her difficulties might relate to there with everything that goes with military downsizing.
The substance of the story still rests in Jack's ability to get out of difficult situations with his strength, bravery and knowledge of how things work and what is wrong with a current theory.
The descriptions of the land are entertaining as Jack and the former commander of the 110th have to avoid those chasing them including members of a moonshiner's family who they run into along the way.

A page turner not to be missed

"The Last Alibi" is the latest thriller from David Ellis, Edgar Award winner who has written 8 previous novels. Last year he wrote the "New York Times" bestseller, "Guilty Wives" with James Patterson.

Jason Kolarich is a hotshot attorney who has been on both the prosecuting and the defense side of courtroom battles. In this novel, he is fighting off the effects of his oxycodone addiction.

Maybe his mind wasn't as sharp as normal but he agrees to see a man who tells him his name and that he will be accused of murdering two women who he knew but had nothing to do with their murders. He's sure that he's being set up.  Jason tries to get him to go to the police but the man is unwilling to do so and Jason is bound by the attorney client privilege.

Two other women are murdered and Jason feels obligated to let the authorities know about this client. When police look into the client's activities, the client calls Jason and tells him that he betrayed him and that the result will be painful to Jason.

Jason ends up being tried for murder. He's defended by his best friend and partner, Shauna Tasker. From this point on, the novel moves from events at the trial to events leading to the trial. An additional character, court reporter Alexa Himmel approaches Jason and she and Jason form a relationship.

Although Jason is warned to be leary of Alexa, if she's all she claimed, it is Jason's own intuition to be weary of what is going on as Alexa becomes more assertive.

There are a great many twists and surprises in the novel which the author manages to create while providing the reader with a gut wrenching novel.

I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing and look forward to reading more stories from this excellent story teller.

My Antonia - classic

A classic story that tells of a family of farmers moving to Nebraska to start a new life. Young Jim Burden is on the same train as the immigrants. He's coming to live with his grandparents after his parents's death.

Jim is the narrator and in the Shimerda's we learn of the difficulties a family faces living in an area where no one speaks the language. The only person with a close resemblance to their language, takes advantage of them.

Antonia Shimerda is a teenager and yet she seems to have the common sense that helps the family through difficult situations. She and Jim build a friendship that lasts throughout the novel.

The story is told in five books that detail the early days on the prairie and continuing until Jim returns to town as a professional and visits Antonia and her family.

The elements that help classify the novel as a classic include the descriptions of life in Nebraska, the treatment that some immigrants received in farming communities and the descriptions of the land. We also explore family relationships and see how two teenagers can overcome obstacles and, as friends, while helping their families.

As this was told to the reader in five stories, some of which the author had written as independent pieces and descriptions of the west.

This was my second reading of the book. The first reading was as a student but in my retirement age, this reading was very enjoyable.

Girl, you're a wonder to me.

GIVEAWAY

"This Girl," is the latest installment of the bestselling Slammed series. These YA novels have been extremely successful. They offer the author's fans, love and  heartache combined with some excellent poetry.

We meet Will Cooper, a high school teacher, caring for his younger brother after their parents untimely deaths. With caring for his younger brother, Will doubled up on his own courses and is working as a student teacher at a high school. He's fighting off depression due to his parents deaths and because his girlfriend doesn't want the responsibility of caring for a child (Will's brother), so she moves out.

The novel moves along gradually as a new neighbor moves in across the street. The new family consists of a mother, a daughter and a boy the same age as Will's brother.

Through the course of things, Will asks the girl out on a date and brings her to a poetry slam where he performs one of his poems.

Everything seems leading to a course where Will and the girl becoming a couple when he spots her at his high school where she is a new student and will be taking his class in poetry.

Even with strong feelings toward each other, Will understands that it is inappropriate for a teacher to date one of their students and a dilemma occurs.

This is a very enjoyable novel that is told from Will's point of view. The characters are entertaining and the plotting is appropriate.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3FRQD89JT9DZO/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Giveaway Rules:

1. Please use above link and see the Amazon review. At the end of the review, if you agree, indicate "YES" helpful.
2. Give your email address and indicate step 1 completed.
3. Giveaway ends Aug 10th.
4. This is for a paperback edition.
5. US only - sorry, postage.

Angel eyes, you are so heavenly. Song lyrics

This dark story describes the life and lack of anything beyond the job, of a contract killer. He fulfills orders to eliminate a person someone wants dead.

Leonard Carter, a former Special Forces member, has returned from overseas and has been working as a hit man.

He completes the hit on a mob figure who, at the time of the hit, was with Angela Tamanaka, a beautiful woman who worked as a prostitute at an escort service.

Carter doesn't harm Angela and tells her that she might be questioned about being with the man who was shot but she isn't to say anything.

The subject of the hit was Ricky Ditto and now his brother, Bobby, who is also a gangster, wants revenge.

The author is a former cab driver in New York and writes about the streets as if he was standing on the corner. He is also adept at describing the life of a hit man, the manner in which they get their subjects, and,. in this case, the moral side.

Carter and Angela end up working together to save Angela from the gangsters and we see two very different worlds come together.

I found the characterization to be insubstantial and the plot has been done before.

I have read other work by the author and enjoy his writing style but this book missed the mark.

To really accomplish something, listen to the whisper that is heard by Him.

The story deals with a family coping with a tragic situation. They receive help from a man, Tom Booker, who is able to communicate with horses and get them and people to form a bond.

A young girl, Grace,  brings her horse, Pilgrim, for a morning ride on an icy trail. She and a friend and their horses cross a road and are hit by a trucker trying to save time by using a back road. The friend and her horse are killed and Grace loses a leg. Pilgrim is severely injured.

Grace's mother, Annie, learns of a man who has a talent for dealing with horses that enables them and their handlers to have a new life together. Grace, her mother and Pilgrim travel to Montana to see if the man can save Pilgrim and renew Grace's life.

There is also a love story between Grace and Joe,  Tom's nephew. At the same time, a romantic interest develops between Tom and Annie.

The description of ranch life in Montana is visual. The manner in which Tom deals with horses to get them to be more manageable, is also magical.

I enjoyed my second reading of the story and the comparison of life in Montana on a range compared to Annie's job as an editor with the hustle and back stabbing she was experiencing at her job.

Almost Paradise

Archer Mayor explores the areas of home burglaries and jewelry theft in New England.

In Boston, three robbers invade the home of wealthy "Billie" Wilhelma Hawthorne and rob her of her valuables. When she confronts the men, one of them strike her and is left for dead.

With this entree, the reader is thrust into a world of home robbers and also an industry where valuable jewels are stolen and melted down, in this case, by illegals forced to do jewelry smithing.

Billie's granddaughter, Mina, finds Billie and gets her to the hospital but in critical condition. A Boston detective is assigned to the case but Mina wants to take her own actions to help the case.

In Vermont, wealthy homes are being broken into and in some cases, the homes are set on fire to destroy the evidence. Joe Gunther and his team of investigators are assigned to the case.

A side story tells the story of an illegal woman smuggled from Canada and forced to work with unscrupulous thieves, melting down jewelry for resale.

The author makes the reader feel empathetic with the victims of the crimes committed during the course of the story. Joe Gunther and his team of special investigators have a plan of action that has worked in past cases where various members of the unit are assigned tasks in tracking down known felons and their associates.

The book is descriptive of crime in New England and is irresistible to this New Englander but I think would be of interest to all who enjoy a good crime novel.

I intend to read more books from this author.