Friday, May 31, 2013

Happy Birthday ?wazithinkin



Happy birthday to our Pal, ?wazithinkin (or as she's known in some circles, SuperWazi). I tried to get enough candles on the cake, but these guys showed up before I could get them all lit.


Strangely Sober / Essa Alroc


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Mystery/Humor

Approximate word count: 110-115,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

An Orlando, Florida based freelance writer, Essa Alroc has two additional books available: The Apology (a novella) and Asymmetric Angels, the sequel to Strangely Sober.

For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

“Angelica Salvatori, aka Sal, is anything but sober. As a hard partying and even harder living criminal, she considers her status as mastermind not just a job, but a calling. Between running her crew, trying to burn down her bar, and dealing with her occasional breaks with reality, she has enough on her plate. When she finds out that she has a twin she didn’t know about, one that may be in serious danger because of something she did, Sal reacts by doing what any good delusional sociopath would do. She goes on a violence packed, cross country crime spree to find out who’s hunting them and why.”

Appraisal:

A hard-boiled mystery where the main character as well as the secondary characters surrounding her are full of personality quirks, major flaws, and at times, downright evil dispositions. Despite this, often because of it, the reader (at least this one) still wants them to come out on top. Partly that is because they are the way they are for a reason. Their wicked ways usually only hurt those deserving of retribution and at least some of the time the main character, Sal, is almost Robin Hoodish. An over-the-top, fun, and quirky story that fits the characters well.

However, just as the characters have major flaws, the execution of the story abounds with problems. The biggest issue is the lack of adequate copy editing, with typos, homophone mistakes, and grammar errors throughout. There is also one tangent, explaining an aspect of the Holocaust, that while interesting, gave way more detail and drug on too long for what was needed as backstory. If your inner editor is the forgiving type, Strangely Sober is a fun read.

FYI:

Adult language and situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

A large number of copyediting errors and typos. These included incorrect words (often due to an extra or missing letter), homophone errors (their/they’re and your/you’re errors were especially prevalent), and a confusion in the proper use of bring versus take.


Rating: *** Three stars

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Tales from the Longcroft 2 / Darren Sant


Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Darren Sant’s childhood was spent living between two large housing estates. The locations and characters provided the inspiration for Sant’s stories.
To learn more about the author visit his website.

Description:

An interlinked series of short stories about the less than law-abiding residents of the Longcroft Estate.

Appraisal:

Tales from the Longcroft 2 is an another group of stories that has a degree of overlap and follow on from part one.

First is a prologue where a girl’s body is discovered, she’d overdosed on drugs.
Then the scene switches to Ken Hargreaves, a bent copper, but someone is watching him. The scene then moves to Ernest Wilson, a Second World War veteran about to bury his grand-daughter.

Ernest ultimately confronts the local hard man and drug dealer Mark Wilson. His organization supplied the gear that killed his grand-daughter. There’s also a reference to Shona Cullen and Andy Rowan, whose tale was told in the first volume. This is a neat stand-alone story that gives some more information and a degree of closure to the story. Personally, as I liked these characters so much, I would have liked to have seen more.

Devil Gate Drive is about local alcoholic, Pete. The narrative is split between the now and the past in a series of flashbacks, explaining why Pete is what he is. It’s a somewhat sad, but inevitable, story about how unforeseen events catch up with a person and irrevocably alter them.

Open All Hours has a degree of similarity to the story Community Spirit which was in the first volume. An Asian family takes over a corner shop. The children struggle to fit into the local school and they’re subjected to racial abuse. However the community steps forward to protect its own in this timely story.

This is another good series of stories that flesh out the characters living on the Longcroft Estate. The first half of the book is stronger than the second half, in my opinion, perhaps because I’d have liked to have seen more of the Cullen’s. But, strong story telling with compelling characters.

FYI:

Some swearing.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.


Rating: **** Four Stars

Tales from the Longcroft / Darren Sant


Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime

Approximate word count: 10-15,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Darren Sant’s childhood was spent living between two large housing estates. The locations and characters provided the inspiration for Sant’s stories.
To learn more about the author visit his website.

Description:

An interlinked series of short stories about the less than law-abiding residents of the Longcroft Estate.

Appraisal:

Tales from the Longcroft Estate is an interesting group of stories which I enjoyed reading.

The first is A Good Day, written in the first person by a self-confessed drug addict and thief who, in the course of his daily habit of stealing to gain a fix, actually does the right thing by stumbling (almost literally) onto a paedophile ring and in the process saving a four year old boy. Ironically it’s his nose for a dodgy deal that helps the protagonist save the day. Despite the basis being an unpleasant subject Sant handles it very well, never allowing sensationalism to drift in and distract the reader.

The title of the next short, Community Spirit, gives a clue as to the theme. Tracy owes a nasty (and cowardly) loan shark money. She recently moved to the estate and isn’t happy. She feels her neighbours will do nothing to help her as Taff Hargreaves comes to reclaim his money (or payment in kind). However, Tracy soon learns the perception of her neighbours is incorrect. A good story that raises the spectre of debt over a family and is a position probably many find themselves in today.

Rowan’s Folly is a grouping of stories about the local hard guys, the Cullen family. Andy Rowan is a self-employed electrician. He carries out some gratis work for the Cullen’s (no-one would dare charge them!) but gets involved in a relationship with the daughter, Shona. The problem is her boyfriend is Mark Temple – gangster and lunatic – and he finds out about the affair, with drastic consequences.

This was the best of the tales, it hangs together very well. The characters are excellent, the events they’re involved with are ordinary, yet not.

Tucked in the middle is a funny two page short – Mrs Jones Gets An Unexpected Treat. Two scallies rob the old lady, but she catches them red handed and ties one to a chair, letting the other go. She gets some personal satisfaction from the captive (he doesn’t).

Tales From The Longcroft feels like a personal journey, as if the author has an experience of the events and people. Although the majority of the characters are unpleasant, Sant displays a touching affection for them which gives each a broader appeal. A short, but very satisfying read.

FYI:

Some swearing.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: **** Four Stars

#Free for your #Kindle, 5/30/2013

The author of each of these books has indicated their intent to schedule these books for a free day for the Kindle versions today on Amazon. Sometimes plans change or mistakes happen, so be sure to verify the price before hitting that "buy me" button.


A Deserted Place by FH Bachelor




Author's interested in having their free book featured either here on a Thursday or a sister site on a Monday, visit this page for details.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

How Not to Murder Your Grumpy / Carol E. Wyer


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Humor/Non-Fiction

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Carol E. Wyer is an award winning author whose humorous novels take a light-hearted look at getting older and encourage others to age disgracefully.”
Wyer has two novels, Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines and its sequel, Surfing in Stilletos.

For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

Are you a woman of a certain age with a retired spouse who is now home all the time and driving you crazy? The solution, find him some activities to get him out of your hair.

Appraisal:

The premise of this book is simple. Just like mothers with kids out of school for the summer need to find fun activities to prevent boredom in the kids and maintain their own sanity, retired husbands need the same attention. Wyer lists ideas arranged from A to Z for hobbies and other activities that could potentially keep hubby busy and out of the way of their poor, suffering spouse. The book is a quick, light-hearted read, with the primary goal of getting a laugh, but still with enough information that it might spark an idea and sometimes point you in the right direction for more information. It’s sprinkled throughout with interesting and entertaining trivia and the occasional joke.

Although the book has a definite British-bent, most of the ideas will be familiar to those anywhere in the world. A few may not be, which when I was reading only served to get more laughs. One example is “Molly Dancing,” where the participants “wave hankies and bells ... and shout a lot.” Those wacky Brits.

FYI:

Uses UK spelling conventions and slang.

Format/Typo Issues:

Read a pre-release beta version. Unable to comment on finished product in this area.


Rating: **** Four stars

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

A Voice in the Thunder / Kevin McCormick


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Science Fiction

Approximate word count: 115-120,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A California native who now lives in the Pacific Northwest, Kevin McCormick is now working on The Silence and the Light, the second of four books planned in his debut science-fiction series.

For more, visit his blog.

Description:

“Master thief Christmas ‘Crazy-Eyes’ Parker has robbed and murdered a path from one end of the galaxy to the other, earning a solid living as a hired gun for the Galactic Coalition, the singular government controlling all planets inhabited by mankind. When an armored truck job goes sideways on the planet Eridan, Parker’s next move puts her at odds both with her government liaison, Horace Murchison (who betrays Parker thanks to a convincing religious experience), and her boss, industrial magnate Atusa Navarro, a woman who is equal parts generous philanthropist and ruthless killer.”

Appraisal:

Imagine a distant future. Much of the known universe is settled and civilized, with a central government having control, at least of the civilized part. But at some distant outposts, the government’s hold is weak and (despite vastly improved technology) it feels much like the old west, or at least how it is often portrayed. That’s the setting for A Voice in the Thunder. But the story (some crime thriller with a bit of political thriller tossed in the mix) is one that would work in many settings, with corrupt government, ruthless (some might say evil) corporate overlords, and difficulty deciding who the good guys really are. A good read for science fiction fans.

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and other copy editing issues.


Rating: **** Four stars

Monday, May 27, 2013

The Story of Rachel / K.D. McLean



Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Erotica/Romance

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A mother and grandmother, this is Canadian K.D. McLean’s first book. She wrote it after catching “the writing bug” and calls it the “most intensive and difficult thing” she’s “undertaken in life outside of childbirth.”

Description:

“Oh Lord Kill Me Now, thinks Rachel tossing back another bottom feeder of the internet dating Pond. Enter Michael (yes, Mr. Right), a writer with a bag of tricks sparking her interest. Until Michael, Rachel thought vanilla was only a baking ingredient. Together they trip along in a sometimes hilarious journey of sensuality. Will gun-shy Michael allow himself to free fall in love yelling Geronimo?”

Appraisal:

I think the best description of The Story of Rachel would be erotic romance. It’s much spicier than most romance novels, possibly as much as some erotica, yet has a story arc that fits the romance genre and a plot with more meat to it than most straight erotica.

The hero and heroine are complex characters, each with a history and experience much different from each other that provides both contrast and works well with the story. Some interesting minor characters also add a lot to the story. There were occasional rough spots, primarily telling us something not important to the story (“Over garlic bread and pasta, a friendship germinated, which would continue to grow for the rest of their lives …”) or that we should figure out on our own (“It wasn't a complete lie, but Annik wasn't ready to disclose everything about herself”). Yet, even the rough spots weren’t that rough.

FYI:

Adult language and sexual situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of copyediting and proofing misses.


Rating: **** Four stars

Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Dirty Secret / Brent Wolfinbarger



Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Political Thriller

Approximate word count: 110-115,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Brent Wolfingbarger has been practicing law for almost two decades, representing both Democrats and Republicans in closely contested, high-profile election law battles. He spent five years as a prosecutor in West Virginia, handling the full spectrum of cases including murder, sexual assault, and computer-related crimes, and actively focusing on cutting-edge issues related to the acquisition, analysis, and use of digital evidence in criminal cases.

Wolfingbarger lives in Washington, DC where he continues to work as a prosecutor, handling white collar financial crimes and violent crimes committed against elderly and disabled victims.”

For more, visit the author’s website.

Description:

“The difference between victory and defeat in the Electoral College comes down to 259 votes in West Virginia.

A state senator desperately fights back against a lawsuit that is pushing his family’s company toward bankruptcy.

A vice presidential candidate’s adulterous affair threatens to explode in his face and burst into the world’s headlines with devastating consequences.

A ruthless billionaire will stop at nothing to avoid facing justice for his crimes.

A small town prosecutor stumbles upon a plot to win the election by any means necessary: high-tech manipulation of electronic voting machines, creative interpretation of arcane election laws, bribery, blackmail, and even murder.

And Rikki Gudivada and Dave Anderson – two star-crossed former lovers from opposite sides of the political fence – are drawn back together as the battle rages for West Virginia’s 5 electoral votes, racing to solve a crime that imperils the very heart of America’s constitutional system while each struggles over the same question:

Is anything more important than winning the White House?”

Appraisal:

The U.S. Presidential election is over. Your preferred candidate either won or lost. What at one point appeared to be a nail-biter turned out to not be so close in the numbers that mattered, the electoral college votes. But what if it had been closer and your candidate had lost by a relative handful of votes in one of the swing states? Would you have been concerned?

The Dirty Secret is a tense political thriller that has all the elements of a good story: conflict, a touch of romance, heroes and villains. However, as the author points out in the introduction, it doesn’t stray from the reality of the laws governing U.S. Presidential elections, including some of the more obscure regulations. Fans of political thrillers should eat this up. Those who are politically engaged and unaware of concerns with the integrity of the voting process, especially as it pertains to the use of electronic voting machines, should consider this a wake-up call. Without meaningful election reform, Wolfinbarger’s fiction could easily become reality. Possibly, it already has.

FYI:

Some adult language and mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Satan Loves You / Grady Hendrix



Reviewed by: Ryan Bracha

Genre: Comedy Fiction

Approximate word count: 70,000 – 75,000

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: No  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Grady Hendrix’s fiction has appeared in Lightspeed Magazine, Strange Horizons, Pseudopod and the anthology The Mad Scientist's Guide to World Domination. His nonfiction has appeared in Variety, Slate, Playboy, Time Out New York, the New York Sun and the Village Voice. You can follow every little move he makes at his website.

Description:

"Satan hates his job. Managing Hell is the worst job ever invented and after several millennia of listening to the constant whining of damned souls, Satan is completely and totally burnt out. But there are no holidays in Hell, and now, in the face of a power grab by the officious and smarmy Heavenly Host, Satan's got to reach deep and find a way to save his home from corporate takeover. Featuring hat-wearing Chihuahuas, hyper-violent nuns with poor impulse control, and metaphysical wrestling matches, Satan Loves You is the book for everyone who hates boring books. Do you love romance? Do you adore fantasy epics about anorexic elves who sing? Is your idea of a perfect evening curling up with a cozy mystery and a nice cup of tea? Then go away! Satan Loves You is a high-octane injection of literary adrenaline that annihilates romance, kills elves, and makes hot tea explode into a massive fireball that will melt your face!"

Appraisal:

Jerry Springer: The Opera, The Book of Mormon, The Life of Brian. All controversial works of comedy which focus upon religion, Heaven vs. Hell, and the like, which take themselves far from seriously but have courted controversy over their subject matter from those which do take those kinds of things seriously. Satan Loves You is a book which falls firmly and unashamedly in the same arena as the aforementioned works, and when read by the wrong eyes, may provoke a similar reaction from an audience.

This is the story of Satan, the overworked and under-appreciated lord of the depths of a Hell which hasn't had a fresh idea for new torture for years. The fires are not much more than weak wisps of heat, the lakes of sulphur are reduced to puddles, and the demons are having words with the union about their working conditions. Heaven is enjoying record profits from those that pass through the pearly gates, but as more and more of the world become Godless sinners, Hell is struggling to keep up. To complicate matters further Satan has inadvertently impregnated a nun, attracted a class action lawsuit on the basis that a woman named Frita Babbit allegedly suffered abuse at the hands of Satanic followers, and to top it all off, The Heavenly Host is making a move for a corporate takeover of Hell, by fair means or otherwise.

I have to say, this is a very funny book. Grady Hendrix effortlessly weaves a surrealist yarn that floats atop a sea of undertones. The Heaven vs. Hell theme reeks of a corporate world satire, the courtroom drama is a fantastic commentary on live-on-TV court cases, with a 'Well, he's the Devil, he must be bad," attitude that voids any valid points that Satan, or his lawyer, the Emperor Nero, can make. His descriptive prose is spot on, and the jokes well placed and consistent. Hendrix also displays a marvellous Devil may care attitude (pun entirely intended) with his subject matter, and has absolutely no remorse whatsoever with who he might offend in the process. For this, he deserves, and gets, the utmost of respect from me.

Of course it will not be for everybody, and is bound to divide the opinions of those that pick it up. My advice is to almost forget the religious undertones, and get carried away in the absurd world that Hendrix creates, the humour falls into the bracket of 'childish' at times but to be honest, I'm a massive fan of childish humour when it's executed in the right way, and in Satan Loves You, Grady Hendrix gets it just right. Just a snippet to give you an idea of both the vibe that the book has, and the kind of thing that had me snorting milk through my nose in laughter.

"Your hooves are getting poo all over the carpet."

Surreal. Laugh out loud funny. Controversial. Thought provoking. A must read.

FYI:

Some of the subject matter may cause offence.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Friday, May 24, 2013

The Hunters / Martin Stanley



Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Thriller / Crime

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Martin Stanley studied to be a graphic designer. A love of crime fiction at an early age led Martin to start writing. He has since released The Gamblers and now The Hunters.
You can learn more about the author at his blog: http://the gamblersnovel.com

Description:

Rose Bennett is a woman with a grudge. Her ex-husband, Mike McGarvey, is a car dealer with a variety of very dubious connections and half a million pounds tucked away in a safe. It’s money no-one knows about, or so he thinks.

Rose believes she was cheated in their divorce settlement so she approaches an old school friend and local Teesside criminal, Stanton, to rob McGarvey. It’s planned to occur when he’s having one of his regular poker games with several criminal friends. For Stanton there’s some money in it and the potential of a grateful Rose.

It should be simple, but it isn’t…

The take down goes well, the aftermath doesn’t and the Stantons get ripped off. Rose finds out and threatens the brothers – recover the cash or she’ll put Raffin onto them, a man so bad he scares even them.

Appraisal:

This is a very good, fast moving, at times violent story with a range of excellent characters, the latter being the strongest aspect of The Hunters.
There’s the Stantons themselves, tough guys, one clever, one the muscles. Rose, stunning and alluring, is a dichotomy – she was jailed for attacking a girl with a high-heeled shoe and killed another girl in prison. Is she redeemed? Or just pretending?

There’s a litany of bad guys – Hollis, Eddie Miles and Raffin to name but a few. All well painted, all evil in their own way. One intriguing aspect - the author doesn’t reveal the Christian name of either Stanton brother. It works well.

The Hunters is written in the first person by the narrator - Stanton himself - delivering an immediacy to the plot. It clips along at a fair pace, the brothers drawn into one problem after the other. The prose is terse and Stanton’s character shines through in the language. Stanley creates excellent tension and a strong motivation for the reader to keep turning the pages.

Here’s an example of the writing:

I decided not to crack wise with Eddie. Despite the tension in the room he was Zen personified – his voice may have sounded rough, but his tone was calm and collected – and that made me nervous. He looked like he was already planning new and interesting ways of disposing of our corpses.

Thoroughly enjoyable and with a cliffhanger at the end, presumably ready to explode at the beginning of the sequel. I’m looking forward to finding out.

FYI:

Some swearing. Violent scenes.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Witches and Bandits and Swords (Oh, My!) / Dominic O’Reilly



Reviewed by: SingleEyePhotos

Genre: Fantasy

Approximate word count: (varies – this is a create-your-own adventure)

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Dominic O’Reilly lives in Manchester, England and has many temporary jobs, all including the typing up of very mundane, and totally uninteresting, information.  When he needs to escape from the mundane, he writes.  The genre depends on his mood at the moment. Dominic has a blog you can visit and also a page at Deviant Art

Description:

A sea voyage to trade spices with a distant land promised great fortunes for you and your friends. However, a vessel flying a pirate standard had other ideas.  How well can you deal with the unexpected?  Find out in this create-your-own adventure!

Appraisal:

Anyone remember Zork, one of the first interactive computer adventure games?  I do.  I played it while I was in college on one of those ancient Apple computers – back before they were Macs, back before they came in colors.  Way back…  And I loved it.  It was my first experience with just how addictive a computer can be.  Well, I think that this author probably grew up with Zork, and loved it, too.

I spent about 45 minutes gleefully building my own adventure and snickering to myself and thinking “Boy, this is just like Zork!”  OK, I admit it… I wasn’t able to accomplish much except to wander around in a circle picking up herbs and offering a guard some very odd bribes.  But neither was I ever able to do much of anything in Zork, and that didn’t stop me, nor did it dim my enjoyment.

This book has the same snarky, tongue-in-cheek humor – usually at your expense.  The baddies aren’t really bad – just offer them a potion that you were able to have mixed up by one of the witches on the heath using herbs that you picked up while walking in circles, and they’ll be your friends.  The pirates steal your cargo, but they don’t kill you – it’s much more fun to watch as you walk in circles picking up herbs and encountering odd characters.  There are bandits with spiky clubs, but their aim isn’t any better than your prowess with a sword is.  Everything’s all in good fun.

The book has 3 chapters, and if I understand it correctly, you can ‘save’ your adventure, when you inevitably end up getting killed, by jumping to the next chapter (as opposed to starting over).  So, in effect, you get three ‘lives’.   I’ve read a few ‘create your own’ adventure Kindle books, and this is more elaborate, with a greater number of options than the others I’ve read (not to mention having a much more wicked sense of humor).
Highly recommended, if you have a good sense of humor, and even more so if you can remember playing Zork.

FYI:

This is very family-friendly.  The humor is snide, but not mean. The ‘baddies’ are bad in name only.  Even getting killed is an opportunity for the author to poke fun at the reader.

Format/Typo Issues:

In all the jumping around I did during my game, I saw only one minor typo, so I’d say formatting is excellent.  On the Kindle, the links to select the next scenario work perfectly, and some are worth a laugh in themselves.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Bangkok Wet / Simon Royle



Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Thriller

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Simon Royle was born in Manchester, England in 1963. He has been variously a yachtsman, advertising executive, and a senior management executive in software companies. A futurist and a technologist, he lives in Bangkok, with his wife and two children.”

Royle has two other books available: Tag, a technothriller set in the future, and Bangkok Burn, a thriller set in contemporary Thailand, the first book in the Bangkok series (Bangkok Wet is the second).

Description:

“As Bangkok barricades itself against a rising flood of toxic waste, Chance has got some wet work of his own going on. He'd rather be on honeymoon with Pim; that had been the plan.

But the plan didn't include the untimely death of a Godfather's son, being blamed for the theft of a billion baht, and a move by a rival gang on Big Tiger's territory; now there's a new plan - war and retribution.

Funny thing about guns and plans - everyone's got one.”

Appraisal:

Bangkok Wet continues the story of Chance, the farang (a Caucasian, in Thai), who is being groomed to take over his adoptive Thai father’s crime family. With his childhood friend and bodyguard, Chai, in tow, Chance searches for his new bride (kidnapped before they could leave on their honeymoon) and runs afoul of multiple groups with their own agendas. In the end, he uncovers some unexpected history and plenty of nefarious goings-on.

I view the Bangkok series as akin to a Thai version of The Godfather. The interaction between the members of the crime family, other crime families, police, politicians, and civilians is similar in some regards, yet not in others. The setting in Thailand and the cultural differences add much to the story and its feel. It also occurs to me that Chance, although in theory on the wrong side of the law, is a character who I pull for because he lives by a code that, while crossing lines that might make him seem bad, is actually more ethical and moral than the corrupt government officials he often has to deal with. Just as with Bangkok Burn, this latest installment of the Bangkok series is a fast paced thrill ride through the Thai underground, and should keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the shocking end.

FYI:

Some adult language.

Although the second book in the Bangkok series, Bangkok Wet can stand on its own. However, there are some advantages to reading Bangkok Burn first, primarily a fuller understanding of the history between the characters and a more complete back-story.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars