Catherine Rose Putsche's Blog, page 5

Smokescreen. A Novel by Khaled Talib. Book Trailer. "One of the best espionage thrillers around!"

SmokescreenBy Khaled Talib Plot The scene of the story is set in the Island of Singapore, where the Israeli government are seeking to put an end to the Palestinian conflict; however several Israeli officials want to kill their own leader and plan to assassinate him by framing an innocent reporter called Jethro Westrope, commonly known as Jet West, who works for the country’s leading lifestyle magazine. Jet initially thinks that one of the men that is chasing him is the husband of the wife he has been sleeping with and has no idea until Niki Kishwani, a public relations manager of the Singapore Tourism Board tries to warn him that there are some men who are following him and want to fame him for the murder of an important person.  Jet finds himself in a situation where he is being chased by Chan’s henchmen while at the same time trying to clear his good name as Yung kills Niki, in an attempt to set Jet up for the murder.  Jet is forced to go into hiding and meets Michael Dexter, who offers him refuge in his mansion.  Michael encourages Jet to contact Nikis best friend, Nicole Wong   and convince her he didn’t kill Niki, and that’s when even more dangers await as Jet goes from one threat to yet another and the smear campaign to make him a scapegoat for further murders only multiplies as the dead body count increases.Will Jet be able to clear his name in time before he is framed for the Israelis Prime Minister premeditated murder, or will Chan and his men achieve their ultimate mission that will in effect change the course of all their paths?      Main Characters
Chan Boon Seng – Chief protocol officer of the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Characteristics – A big brusque man who doesn’t care if people like him or not, black eyes, black hair that’s shaved along the sides, streaked with white sleeked back.  A graduate from the London School of Economics, exceptional military career, rising to the rank of Colonel, trained by the Israeli army. Captain Eli Aviram– A tall lean man in his forties with a thin scar across his left cheek, Chan’s long time Israeli friend. X – An old mysterious man, a former Israeli spy who is now a military consultant. Jethro Westrope – Well-toned good-looking Eurasian, reporter, age 35, assistant editor at one of Singaporeans leading lifestyle magazines, half Irish, half Chinese. Niki Kishwani – Public relations manager of the Singapore Tourism Board, age 28, a law graduate from a local university, a covert operative for Chan, a double agent.Mary Yeo  - Niki Kishwani assassin. Yung murders her in cold blood in a church she was seeking repentance.Nicole Wong - Niki Kishwani best friend, a deputy public prosecutor. Yung – A remorseless assassin, who was sentenced to a mental institution for observation and then to be hanged. Chan paid for his freedom after Yung had spent two years in prison, in return Chan expected absolute loyalty. A special operations force solider gone wrong, trained in counter-terrorist actions.   Michael Dexter – United States Ambassador to Singapore, a CIA official, his specific mission is to save the Israeli leader from assassination.De Angelo – Loyal colleague of Dexter’s.
Dialogue The dialogue is natural and flows well throughout the whole book with no signs of forced and unnecessary speech patterns with little or no reference to the use of profanity.        Writing Smokescreen is undoubtedly one of the best written espionage thrillers I have had the honour of reading. I have read numerous spy novels but this book is in a league of its own as one of the greatest fast-paced, gripping and thought provoking plots that involves high-level politics, government cover-ups, covert missions and a high pursuit chase of an innocent man trying desperately to prove his innocence.  Khaled Talib is a master of depicting real life scenarios such as the current connections between Israel and Singapore into a work of unforgettable fiction that will leave you breathless and wanting more.  I highly recommend this book to readers of Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy.  
My Rating: 5 stars For more of my reviews:http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwchttps://twitter.com/Putsche73Amazon & Goodreads

Smokescreen. A Novel by Khaled Talib. Book Trailer

Inventive and clever with genuine laugh-out-loud humour! “A Fistful of Clones" By Seaton Kay-Smith

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S47T19C?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_mts_prod_img#customerReviews

A Fistful of Clones is a comedy sci-fi novel and follows the protagonist, Henry Madison, who is 26 years old and floats through life without any real desire, direction or motivation and seems to be emotionally cut off from the very few people in his life.  When he loses his job as a coupon boy and his girlfriend in the same day he makes a rash decision to sign up for medical testing, so he won’t starve to death.  However, a few days after he donates his various forms of DNA he receives some disturbing news from the doctor who is unknowingly constructing Henry’s clones that seven of the clones have escaped.  Dr Efflund insists that only Henry can hunt them down and kill them and manages to convince a very reluctant Henry with a large amount of money and some special combat training to terminate his doppelgängers ASAP.  Henry soon discovers much to his despair that his carbon copies are running around trying to ruin his life and his original mission to stop them all in a short space of time isn’t working as the clones soon develop personalities of their own. After he hesitantly murders clone number five, his conscience gets the better of him and instead of murdering the remaining two clones, he comes up with a plan to try to save them as his own life is on the line as the doctor and his ruthless associates will stop at nothing to end all traces of the scientific experiment that went horribly wrong. 

Seaton Kay-Smith has created a story that is well written, inventive and clever with genuine laugh-out-loud humour that is entirely effortless and entertaining to read.  It’s almost like the disarming and friendly style in which it was written wraps you up in the story and refuses to let go.  Each character, especially Henry, who is my favourite, is equally flawed, believable and realistic and complements the plot’s cause and effect beautifully.

This is a novel that will stay with me for some time and is definitely one not to be missed and I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the near future.

My Ranking: 5 Stars

My Review Sites:

https://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6867405.Catherine_Rose_Putsche
Amazon.com/UK

A Fistful of Clones By Seaton Kay-Smith

A Fistful of Clones is a comedy sci-fi novel and follows the protagonist, Henry Madison, who is 26 years old and floats through life without any real desire, direction or motivation and seems to be emotionally cut off from the very few people in his life. When he loses his job as a coupon boy and his girlfriend in the same day he makes a rash decision to sign up for medical testing, so he won’t starve to death. However, a few days after he donates his various forms of DNA he receives some disturbing news from the doctor who is unknowingly constructing Henry’s clones that seven of the clones have escaped. Dr Efflund insists that only Henry can hunt them down and kill them and manages to convince a very reluctant Henry with a large amount of money and some special combat training to terminate his doppelgängers ASAP. Henry soon discovers much to his despair that his carbon copies are running around trying to ruin his life and his original mission to stop them all in a short space of time isn’t working as the clones soon develop personalities of their own. After he hesitantly murders clone number five, his conscience gets the better of him and instead of murdering the remaining two clones, he comes up with a plan to try to save them as his own life is on the line as the doctor and his ruthless associates will stop at nothing to end all traces of the scientific experiment that went horribly wrong.

Seaton Kay-Smith has created a story that is well written, inventive and clever with genuine laugh-out-loud humour that is entirely effortless and entertaining to read. It’s almost like the disarming and friendly style in which it was written wraps you up in the story and refuses to let go. Each character, especially Henry, who is my favourite, is equally flawed, believable and realistic and complements the plot’s cause and effect beautifully.

This is a novel that will stay with me for some time and is definitely one not to be missed and I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more of the author’s work in the near future.

My Ranking: 5 Stars

My Review Sites:
A Fistful of Clones
https://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon.com/UK

MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: The $ickness Industry, Big Pharma and Suppressed Cures (The Underground Knowledge Series #3) By James & Lance MORCAN

This book is an incredible well researched compilation of truth that challenges a lifetime of propaganda from Big Pharmaceutical companies and the other participants in the Medical Industrial Complex that put profits ahead of their patients´ well-being and dollars ahead of lives.

The authors´ reveal some despicable acts committed by medical professionals that are alarming and arms readers with “underground Knowledge” about the medical system, the mayor players in that system and their associates. As well as exposing corruption this book also enlightens readers who are not already aware that there are long-standing and convincing claims of alternative remedies for so called incurable diseases that are being withheld by multinational drug companies and medical academia as they are deemed unprofitable. The authors´ also illustrate their point that they suspect there are plants, vitamins and minerals out there that are safer, more effective and cheaper than the toxic, synthesized alternatives that are being developed and marketed by the pharmaceutical companies.

“Each patient carries his own doctor inside him.” – Norman Cousins, Author of Anatomy of Illness

The authors´ have done an excellent job of raising awareness about the current care model that is in place and they raise many thought-provoking questions that will inspire and educate many readers who are looking to make some well-informed choices about their health.

My Ranking: 5 Stars

My Review Sites:
https://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon.com/UK

5 Star Book Review: Essential reading for health conscious people!

MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX: The $ickness Industry, Big Pharma and Suppressed Cures (The Underground Knowledge Series #3) By James & Lance MORCAN
http://www.amazon.com/MEDICAL-INDUSTRIAL-COMPLEX-Suppressed-Underground-ebook/dp/B00Y8Y3TUM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1434006202&sr=1-1&keywords=MEDICAL+INDUSTRIAL+COMPLEX%3A+The+%24ickness+Industry%2C+Big+Pharma+and+Suppressed+Cures+%28The+Underground+Knowledge+Series+%233%29

This book is an incredible well researched compilation of truth that challenges a lifetime of propaganda from Big Pharmaceutical companies and the other participants in the Medical Industrial Complex that put profits ahead of their patients´ well-being and dollars ahead of lives.
The authors´ reveal some despicable acts committed by medical professionals that are alarming and arms readers with “underground Knowledge” about the medical system, the mayor players in that system and their associates.  As well as exposing corruption this book also enlightens readers who are not already aware that there are long-standing and convincing claims of alternative remedies for so called incurable diseases that are being withheld by multinational drug companies and medical academia as they are deemed unprofitable.  The authors´ also illustrate their point that they suspect there are plants, vitamins and minerals out there that are safer, more effective and cheaper than the toxic, synthesized alternatives that are being developed and marketed by the pharmaceutical companies.
“Each patient carries his own doctor inside him.” – Norman Cousins, Author of Anatomy of Illness
The authors´ have done an excellent job of raising awareness about the current care model that is in place and they raise many thought-provoking questions that will inspire and educate many readers who are looking to make some well-informed choices about their health.  My Ranking: 5 Stars 

My Review Sites:
https://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6867405.Catherine_Rose_Putsche
Amazon.com/UK

4.5 Star Book Review: The Argent Star By Emerson Fray

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SHYHDEM?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_mts_prod_img


The Argent Star is a YA/SF story set in the year of 2453 and is the first book in the Monarchy Series. 
Ren Argent is the main female protagonist whose world is literally turned upside down when her brother, Elian discovers a hidden planet that has been lost for centuries.  Instead of continuing her education to become an archaeologist and exploring the lost cities of earth, she is suddenly bound to join forces to help her estranged father who has just been appointed king by the Monarchy to rule the planet as some unexpected paperwork claims that an ancestor of theirs named the planet Novae.  Ren reluctantly leaves with her father and brother to help rule Novae with a deep sense of loss as she must leave behind everything she knows to help govern a planet she knows very little about.  Ren soon discovers nothing about coming to Novae was what she expected as there are a number of assassins and insurgents who are planning a rebellion to overthrow her and her family and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.  It is not long after that Ren is appointed a strong female Sotarian guide to help protect her against the uprising, however when a few unexpected series of events take place and Ren witnesses firsthand how the insurgents, rebels and even a secret society are all out to overthrow anyone governing Novae she begins to question her own loyalty as she is more convinced that the Monarchy wants to destroy Novae.  Ren tries to separate the Monarchy away from Novae to avoid mass genocide and goes against everything she believes in, everything she was taught and everything she knew for the past twenty years of her life to save Novae, but will her efforts be enough strike a deal with the Monarchy and save Novae from their control?
Despite the conflicts, dangers and twists in the story the characters’ are my most favourite part of the novel as they are all uniquely flawed because they all struggle with their own issues and find a way to deal with all the changes around them.  One example of this is that Ren manages to overcome her own insecurities, anxiety and fears and finally turn them to her advantage.  Fray has taken a young insecure woman and made her in to a force to be reckoned with as she has to escape assassins who attempt to kill her family as well as the fight against the Monarchy she no longer trusts. Any readers that get into Frays story and characters’ will no doubt want to invest in the next set of instalments.
My Ranking: 4.5 Stars 
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6867405.Catherine_Rose_Putsche
Amazon.com/UK

A superb post apocalyptic tale of mystical elements with memorable characters’

http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-White-Lake-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/product-reviews/B00OAY9V7K/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Secrets of the White LakeBy Daniel Chong 
“To be gifted with the power to shape dreams, one must also endure the prophecies.”But is it a blessing or a curse?
Wanderer (An old Indian Sharman) had seen many visions before but this one was like no other.  He witnesses towns and cities burning.  That was the day the invaders came.  This was the day Wanderer offered a promise that he would look after the woman’s children so the woman could go in search of her husband.  He looks after the children like they were his own and after the seventh year passes Wanderer gives one of the children Miya a rare gift to see the prophecies ‘in the hope that it will act as a guide on their perilous journey home throughout a terrifying post apocalyptic world where their survival skills are tested against alpha-male trackers and bounty hunters.  The children reluctantly join a team of men who are known as “Outsiders” Saul and Yuanjias take the children in under their wing to train them up and have them join their uprising.  However, Miyas prophetic glimpses soon trigger off a number of unexpected events that temporarily change the course of all their paths and strongly challenge a number of age-old religious and scientific beliefs.  This is a breathtaking composed fantasy story of a brother, sister and a friend trying to make their journey home with a high number of odds against them.
Daniel Chong injects plenty of mythical elements and depicts his scenes perfectly, the characters’, and their actions makes it feel all the more real and that you are with them every step of the way.  I cannot wait for the next instalment and strongly recommend this story to any reader who enjoys superior fantasy and sci-fi.
My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:
http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6867405.Catherine_Rose_Putsche
Amazon.com/UK

A beautifully mastered flow of natural prose!

These three uniquely different series of novellas are set in England in the 1980s. Each story is deeply captivating, subtle and intriguing with a sophisticated effort to understand in an atmospheric sense what it was like to live in a country that was on the brink of change.

Spring is the first story that I found to be deeply touching as it follows the life of 60 year old trawler man called Skip, who had spent 45 years at sea and 40 years as a drinker. He wouldn’t normally risk a drop of alcohol between breakwaters until now as he tries to revive his business with his newly invented long-lining system. However, his one last chance to change his fate has the most devastating consequences which all lead to an unexpected series of events that will change and shape the rest of his life. This is rather a bleak tale of the realities facing many fishermen in a time where the government decommissioned many fishing vessels and the sense of place and time is exceptionally well characterised.

Summer is the second story and follows the conflicts and a number of ambiguous flashbacks between an impetuous estate agent called Terry and a guy called Roy, who is the meeker of the two who teaches and is an amateur gliding instructor. Terry remembers Roy as a boring and a very serious right-wing Labour supporter at university who opposed most of Terry’s political views. Their long grudge against one leads to some intriguing and unpredictable consequences.

Autumn is the third and final story and once again the author uses a number of ambiguous flashbacks of an aging college master called, Paul Makepeace where a series of present events take him back on an unforgettable journey in to his childhood that have undoubtedly shaped his future.

Although these three stories are in no way connected to one another, I felt deeply connected to the well-developed characters’ in each story and couldn’t help but think that the underlying moral of each story was that each character managed to find their grounding, despite a number of evolutionary and cultural changes that were taking place around them in the 1980s.

Disclosure: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Ranking: 5 Stars

My Review Sites:

http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon.com/UK

A beautifully mastered flow of natural prose! 5 Star Book Review

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RDSISQ0/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img




Three Seasons: Three Stories of England in the EightiesBy Mike Robbins These three uniquely different series of novellas are set in England in the 1980s. Each story is deeply captivating, subtle and intriguing with a sophisticated effort to understand in an atmospheric sense what it was like to live in a country that was on the brink of change.   Spring is the first story that I found to be deeply touching as it follows the life of 60 year old trawler man called Skip, who had spent 45 years at sea and 40 years as a drinker. He wouldn’t normally risk a drop of alcohol between breakwaters until now as he tries to revive his business with his newly invented long-lining system.  However, his one last chance to change his fate has the most devastating consequences which all lead to an unexpected series of events that will change and shape the rest of his life. This is rather a bleak tale of the realities facing many fishermen in a time where the government decommissioned many fishing vessels and the sense of place and time is exceptionally well characterised. 
Summer is the second story and follows the conflicts and a number of ambiguous flashbacks between an impetuous estate agent called Terry and a guy called Roy, who is the meeker of the two who teaches and is an amateur gliding instructor. Terry remembers Roy as a boring and a very serious right-wing Labour supporter at university who opposed most of Terry’s political views. Their long grudge against one leads to some intriguing and unpredictable consequences. 
Autumn is the third and final story and once again the author uses a number of ambiguous flashbacks of an aging college master called, Paul Makepeace where a series of present events take him back on an unforgettable journey in to his childhood that have undoubtedly shaped his future.
Although these three stories are in no way connected to one another, I felt deeply connected to the well-developed characters’ in each story and couldn’t help but think that the underlying moral of each story was that each character managed to find their grounding, despite a number of evolutionary and cultural changes that were taking place around them in the 1980s.
Disclosure: I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Ranking: 5 Stars
My Review Sites:

http://walkerputsche.wordpress.com/
http://catherineroseputsche.webs.com/
http://t.co/G0ExZgmlwc
https://twitter.com/Putsche73
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6867405.Catherine_Rose_Putsche
Amazon.com/UK