FOOL ME TWICE by Michael Brandman

I got into Michael Brandman’s second Jesse Stone novel on the heels of the first because I had a good time returning to Paradise. Unfortunately, I probably jumped back in too soon in some ways. Like the first book, this second novel goes down easily and smoothly. Brandman turns in prose that almost reads itself […]

KILLING THE BLUES by Michael Brandman

Since Robert B. Parker died and left a slew of fans clamoring for more books about his iconic characters, a few writers have stepped into the breach to deliver more tales. Michael Brandman is a producer on the Jesse Stone films starring Tom Selleck, which I enjoy a lot. During these productions, Brandman got to […]

LEVON’S NIGHT by Chuck Dixon

After the first Levon Cade book, I really hoped that Chuck Dixon wasn’t going to just walk away from the character. I felt like there was a lot more story to tell, and there is! Levon Cade is an ex-military guy who is violent and lethal, and fights for the underdog. He’s deeply attached to […]

BANDOLERO by John Benteen

Bandolero starts out differently than a lot of Fargo books. (They’re tagged as Westerns, but since they take place in the early 1900s, I don’t see them as Westerns. Although the West was still getting settled during that time.) Neal Fargo is not only engaged in action, but he’s losing, something you don’t see much […]

THOR: THE GODDESS OF THUNDER by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and Jorge Molina

  I remember all the hoopla that went along with the debut of the female Thor. There were arguments on all sides, that it was just a gimmick, that it was to build onto the diversity package Marvel was hoping to bring to the brand. I didn’t buy into any of it. I figured it […]

THE SECOND LIFE OF NICK MASON by Steve Hamilton

  The Second Life of Nick Mason is a strange and uneven book, but it’s one of those that once I started reading, I had to follow it through to the end to see what happened next. Which is the pull at the heart of every successful thriller. I’ve read and enjoyed Steve Hamilton’s Alex […]

GUN TROUBLE AT DIAMONDBACK by Peter Brandvold

Peter Brandvold has a new Western series out, which is nothing new for him because he is a prolific writer and loves telling stories. This time his hero is Bear Haskell, a US marshal operating out of Denver. His beat ranges from Minnesota to Texas. With over a hundred Westerns under his belt, Brandvold knows […]

WHERE IT HURTS by Reed Farrel Coleman

I hadn’t read Reed Farrel Coleman before, although I was aware of his Moe Prager books and the fact that he is currently continuing Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone novels. However, I was given a copy of Where It Hurts, his first Gus Murphy novel, and I opened it up, feeling immediately as though I’d […]

CHARCOAL JOE by Walter Mosley

I love Walter Mosley’s characters and stories. I remember when he was going to quit writing the Easy Rawlins books and I was disappointed. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and Easy’s uneasy journey continues in the restless 1960s of Los Angeles. Charcoal Joe is an interesting book. According to the cover copy, Easy is supposed to […]

SLOW BURN by Ace Atkins

I’m glad Ace Atkins was picked to carry on the Spenser novels. I grew up with that character and I don’t want him to ever disappear. Atkins comes really close to mimicking Parker’s style with his dialogue and observations (so different from Atkins’ Quinn Colson character), but I noticed in Kickback that the storylines were […]