Shadows of Saigon by Mark R. Anderson

Story 3 of 5 stars

Heat 2 of 5 stars

Main characters – Grady Cordeaux

Grady Cordeaux is a Vietnam veteran who matured from a hot-headed boy, with excessive worry and anxiety, to a thoughtful man in Vietnam. A combat veteran who was honored by several awards and medals. He lost his high school sweetheart but found love again and suffered profound loss.

Some forty years after Vietnam a heart attack has Grady reliving the past. We get to follow a young farm boy, whose temper changes the trajectory of his life forever. Dreams are broken, love is lost and found again, along with tragedy. He returned from Vietnam a shadow, who never fully recovered.

I wasn’t overly fond of Grady in the beginning but his story was engaging, even with a familiar storyline. I wouldn’t say I loved Grady but he grew on me a little.

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Zero Tolerance by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski, narrated by Hilary Swank, Christine Ko, and Melonie Diaz

Story 3 of 5 stars

Heat 0 of 5 stars

Series – n/a

Main characters – Sergeant Jo Barnes, Private Maddie, Lieutenant Luna

Listened to audio narrated by a full cast: Hilary Swank, Christine Ko, and Melonie Diaz. I liked this cast and thought they did a good job with what they were given.

Sergeant Jo Barnes leads an all-female Zero Tolerance investigative team. These three have a reputation for solving complex sex-crimes. Jo, Maddie and Luna take on a case that takes them down a rabbit hole, of privilege and cover-ups, and puts them all in danger.

A short, fast paced read. I was disappointed with the stereotypical characterizations and inaccuracies. There wasn’t a lot of depth, the characters felt flat and the story credibility was low. There were many scenes that didn’t come across as very realistic, it felt like reading a B movie script and I was hoping for something deep, intense and engaging.

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Without Sanction by Don Bentley, narrated by Jack Armstrong

Story 5 of 5 stars

Heat – n/a

Series – Matt Drake

Main Character – Matt Drake

Listened to audio narrated by Jack Armstrong. He delivers a no-nonsense narration that fit the Matt Drake character well, but I hated the voice he gave Frodo. It didn’t feel or sound right for the character.

Matt Drake is a former Army Ranger and former Defense Intelligence Agent who’s struggling after losing an asset and being injured, along with his partner Frodo while they were trying to get to his asset in Syria. He keep’s seeing their ghosts and worries that he may be a danger to his wife. While he’s trying to sort out his PTSD and medical problems, he’s suddenly recalled back to Syria. A chemical weapon making scientist he’d been trying to recruit says he has information on a military captive and demands Matt Drake to take him in.

This book grabs you from the start with alphabet agencies intrigue, political shenanigans and covert military action. There are no dull moments as Drake goes above and beyond to retrieve Shaw under impossible circumstances, with Frodo’s help. There are powerful moments as he falls back on his Ranger training to get him through the darkest moments of this mission and makes me want to que up ‘Black Hawk Down’ and watch it again.

This is Don Bentley’s debut thriller and I loved it from start to finish. You’ll want to grab ‘The Outside Man’ to continue Drake’s story.

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Lightning Game by Christine Feehan, narrated by Jim Frangione

Story 4 of 5 stars

Heat 5 of 5 stars

Series – GhostWalkers

Main characters – Rubin Campos, Jonquille

Listened to audio narrated by Jim Frangione. Easy to listen to but I would have liked a little more differences between male characters.

Rubin Campos is a Ghostwalker, he’s a Ghostwalker and a psychic surgeon and can manipulate lightning. He’s frustrated with his team’s over protectiveness and dictates on his life. Rubin and his brother return to their mountain home regularly to give medical aid and for Rubin to experiment with his abilities.

Jonquille is one of Whitney’s first failed experiments, her abilities will eventually kill her. She draws lightning and energy from those around her, but can’t control it. She’s lived a solitary life researching lightning and psychic doctoring in order to protect others from her out of control power. She also has a gift for healing and was a trained assassin by Whitney..

Jonquille heads to Rubin’s mountain home to try and head off those she believes are hunting him. When Rubin and his brother arrive early and find her in their home they have to decide if she is friend or foe. Rubin knows Whitney paired them, he just has to convince Jonquille to give them a chance.

There’s a lot of action and intensity as Jonquille and Rubin learn to trust each other and use their abilities together. I enjoyed the give and take between them and how their abilities complimented each other so well.

I understood Rubin’s frustration when others tried to orchestrate his missions to keep him protected, but he came across as petulant and sullen about it. He’s a brilliant man why didn’t he come up with a solution for the problem that everyone could live with, rather than internally bemoaning it so often?

This story takes a few dark twisty turns toward the end, opening up more possible heroes and enemies for future books.

Tragic pasts, sweet love story, kick ass fights, charming and wiley mountain people and a few surprises to entertain you.

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A Cowboy Kind of Love by Donna Grant

Story 4 of 5 stars

Heat 5 of 5 stars

Series – Heart of Texas

Main characters – Jace Wilder, Taryn Hillman

Jace Wilder was taken prisoner, beaten and tortured for three months. He returned home to heal and found Taryn, the love of his life. When she disappeared from his life five years ago, he never got over the loss of her.

Taryn Hillman has been trying to keep her family alive for the last five years. She’s been given one chance to save her sister and free them from a drug lord.

Returning to Clearview is risky and she can’t resist seeing Jace again. When all other options fail her, she turns to him to explain her disappearance and ask for help.

They never stopped loving each other and once re-united Jace is determined that nothing will separate them again. He was an elite Marine Raider and he will use all his skills and connections to free Taryn and her sister.

There is no doubt the love these two have for each other, I was happy to see them get a second chance. The title and cover makes you think you’ll be reading a western romance but the story is really about a dangerous rescue to free Taryn from a drug lord’s clutches and their happily ever after.

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