Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

With the frontier in Pennsylvania undefended, the lives of the settlers there are at risk as parties of the Delaware tribe take advantage of an opportunity to regain what they had lost to the English settlers. Forest Sentinels by S. Thomas Bailey is an exciting historical fiction work which is set during the French and Indian War. With the British army having been defeated at Monongahela, they began to pull back to the east, leaving the settlement completely unprotected. Knowing that the settlers were left to their own devices, Jacob Murray and his young friend Joshua put together a group of militia to move back into the area and at least attempt to give some form of protection to the people who are fighting for their lives there. There is a fly in the ointment as they set out to build a fort and provide protection; Jacob’s wife Maggie is missing and has been captured by Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawa people and little more than a bully. Also missing is Joshua’s best friend One-Ear. As Jacob is attempting a rescue mission, however, he is captured and held prisoner by a dangerous warrior. When it appears that all is lost, however, a band of sentinels in the form of ghosts from the past and mysterious things begin to happen which were completely unexpected and the Murrays suddenly begin to feel as if they might make it through this difficult trial after all.

Forest Sentinels by S. Thomas Bailey is a well written historical fiction novel with a fantasy twist which draws on a deeper history and is an excellent addition to the Gauntlet Runner Series. The reader will be able to hear the wind blowing through the lonesome trees of the frontier and feel the fear of the impending disaster which lingers throughout the story. Well researched, mysterious and thrilling, Forest Sentinels will send a chill up your spine and make your heart pound as you are swept away in the intense drama of a time when early Americans were struggling to carve a nation out of the frontier.

Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

An odd green glow high up on one of the peaks on the island of Puerto Rico has government scientists confused and questioning its origin. Brad Stout is tasked to make sense of this URP (Unexplained Radiation Phenomenon) in Borrowed Bones by Charles A. Salter. With orders straight from the White House, Brad is put in charge of a secure lab which is bound to secrecy in order to find an answer to the mystery before it threatens to destroy the entire earth in something resembling a reversal of the Big Bang Theory. However, someone is trying to stop him and making it a permanent end seems to be their ultimate goal. The next twist of fate is that they are located on the inside of the lab. Is that why the beautiful Lindsey Cowell is so eagerly by Brad’s side or is she simply trying to seduce him for her own personal reasons? Brad has an overwhelming puzzle to solve and only a short period of time in which to solve it before the entire earth goes BANG!

Charles A. Salter has hit another home run with Borrowed Bones. This thrilling mystery takes a firm grip on the reader from the beginning and tightens it throughout. The twists and turns of the plot continue to deepen the mystery as Brad comes closer and closer to the truth. Having a saboteur on the inside makes it even more challenging and places suspicion on those who are nearest to him. The hair-raising, intense, and brilliantly woven mystery of Borrowed Bones will have readers on the edge of their seats with their hearts pounding.

Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Set in the near future, Apex Predator by Kelvin Kwa follows the story about the race between the Chinese military and the U.S. Navy Seals to retrieve a fallen satellite in the Arctic Circle. Unknown to them, deep beneath the polar ice cap, a snakelike ancient mythological creature has awakened. The satellite crash causes the destruction of its hatchlings and the gigantic creature wants revenge. This 649-page science fiction thriller does not feel lengthy at all. It hits the ground running. Kelvin Kwa did not waste any time to introduce the malicious yet intelligent serpentine beast. Fast-paced and action-packed, Apex Predator can rival any adrenaline-pumping Hollywood movies. The creature is relentless and the humans are tested beyond their imagination; they need more than military might to survive.

It is not just the action scenes and the creature that stand out here, though. In terms of characters, Master Chief Carter Bohem, Captain Marcus Cartaneo, Executive Officer Rudi Jessen – just to name a few – Kwa shows marvelous skill through deftly written protagonists and maintains their significance to the story from start to finish. I am amazed that Kwa has plenty of time to develop his characters in a high-speed and hectic plot. On the whole, Kelvin Kwa has the streak of inventiveness and originality that rivals some of the established sci-fi writers that I know. That being said, the editing has some dents but very few and hardly fault the story at all. Full of gripping twists and turns, Apex Predator will keep readers turning the pages.

Reviewed by Eileen Johnson for Readers' Favorite

The 3rd Option by Ben Sharpton opens with Allan Chappel arriving at Inc. Ubator for a job interview with a long-time friend. All he knows about the company is that it is a medical think-tank that is doing cutting-edge research that promises to change the medical landscape. Allan tried the seminary as a young man but was disillusioned and left the ministry before taking his vows. He sees this potential job as a way to escape from a life that does not have much to offer him. As Allan arrives for his interview, the building is destroyed by a blast that kills everyone inside the building. Allan awakens in the hospital with a police inspector standing by his bed asking him why he was at the family planning clinic that day. As they talk, Allan begins to understand that he is a prime suspect in the bombing. After the inspector leaves, Allan runs, knowing that he must leave in order to clear his name. So begins a suspenseful tale that becomes an international event as Allan follows the minimal clues he has.

In The 3rd Option, Sharpton creates an intricate story that examines what might happen if the pro-life/pro-choice debate really did have a third option that might be agreeable to both parties. The characters in this fictional work are very well-developed and each one has their own motivation for the actions they take. As Allan uncovers more of the story, he is pursued by the law and a large, bald, goateed man who is intent on killing him. As he runs, his psychic Aunt Julia sends text messages that keep Allan one step ahead of his pursuers. A well-written thriller that explores the possibility of a 3rd option, this novel is a wonderful read!

Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite

For hundreds of years, Los Guardianes de la Paz – the Guardians of Peace – have enforced an uneasy truce between humans and vampires. When vampires kill two Mexicans on the Rio Grande, everything changes. The vampires must now find a new place to live, and a reliable, clean food supply. Meanwhile, former DEA agent Robert Mackie is on a simple but dangerous mission: ferret out the turncoat who had blown his cover as a dedicated employee of a notorious East Coast drug lord. Through a twist of fate, however, his quest for justice ends up putting his niece and nephew in grave danger. Suddenly, the children are thrown into the mix of an enormous vampire family in the higher reaches of the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas. One of the children there, 13-year-old Greg Pike, is about to find himself the star attraction in the vampires’ version of a fox hunt … unless he can escape first. Now Carlos Santiago, the eldest of the Guardians, must find the help he needs to put an end to the violence and set things right with the world again. But nothing is as it seems, and death lurks around every corner.

I chose to review this book because the story sounded so interesting. In fact, this book is so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. The story jumps out and grabs the reader from the word “Go.” The book begins innocuously enough, with several story threads seemingly unrelated. But wait … gradually those threads intertwine to create a tightly-paced, thrilling chase to the death. Brad Anderson has a practical approach to the paranormal, making his vampires utterly believable and thereby creating a solid, credible plot. He mixes up genres to create a fascinating blend of thriller, mystery, and paranormal. The plot is fascinating, and unlike anything I’ve ever read. Although adults take the spotlight every now and again, it is the character of young Greg Pike that rises above the others. The author isn’t afraid to delve into the grittier realities of life when dealing with his characters’ situations and dilemmas. I found the ending unresolved, but there are definite hints at more to come in this genre. If you are looking for something to keep you riveted, read this book. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite

“Dead Burn” by Jennifer Chase is at least the fourth Emily Stone thriller skillfully woven by the author. In this episode Emily is trying to figure out a serial killer arsonist, whose method of trapping his victims in some situation from which they cannot escape before burning them to death seems to be evolving with each new murder. The victims in this case are a rapist who was released due to lack of evidence, his cheesy defense attorney who has built his reputation getting similar cases dismissed, the judge who let the rapist go along with his only daughter and her husband, the private investigator who helped produce the “lack of evidence”, the Assistant District Attorney, and the Jury Foreman. The intensely personal and painful ordeals Emily goes through to finally stop the killer are more than sufficient to make you – and Emily – wonder why she continues in this line of work.
 
“Dead Burn” is a gut-wrenching, nerve-wracking thriller that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat from start to finish. Multiple sub-plots threaten Emily’s life from directions she doesn’t even suspect until after she has managed to elude them. If you like thrillers, get this book, a bottle of antacid tablets, and clear your calendar for a few days so you won’t be interrupted. Advise your family that you are not to be disturbed, under penalty of your wrath if they do disturb you. Then prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster that will challenge your stamina. This is a story you will not soon forget.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Alex Burns aka Falcon 5, is the type of operative you want on your side. He is the head of the Foreign Intelligence Agency and a group of operatives considered renegades. Burns has many enemies that would love to see him dead. Burns and his team have several stolen classified files that they are attempting to exchange for a peaceful life. They just want to be left alone. In an attempt to turn the documents over to the FBI Burns and his team come under attack. If the documents fall into the wrong hands the world as we know it will be destabilized.

Fans of Albatross will be thrilled to be reunited with their favorite operative, Alex Burns in this fast paced sequel, “Raven, Birds of Flight: Book Two.” Author J.M. Erickson brings readers a complex plot in his latest psychological thriller. I find it incredible the way Erickson managed to have high action from beginning to end and yet the suspense builds to a crescendo. This book stands well alone although it is the second book in this series. The plot has great depth making this a book you won’t want to rush through. There are more twists and turns than a pretzel. The actual events mentioned in this tale give the plot a feel of realism. Often character driven plots fall short of expectations but not In “Raven, Birds of Flight: Book Two.” This book not only meets expectations but surpasses expectations. Fans of thrillers will not want to miss this one.

Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite

In 1940, General Charles DeGaulle sent a letter to his fellow Frenchmen urging them to resist the Nazis. And so began the famous French Resistance with its many unsung heroes. In the United States in 1944, teenage Joe and Raymond watch as the owner of the local Always Inn and Tavern is arrested as a Nazi spy with crates of ammunition found in his basement. Raymond is a prankster at school but Joe has a genius and has built a radio that blocked out the local radio station for hours. Now seventeen years of age, Joe is recruited to be a radio operator for a secret upcoming covert operation history now known as D-Day. He is flown to Scotland and then secreted into France by a Resistance hero known as Henri. He is coached to speak in perfect French, not the French Canadian spoken by his mother, and is taken to the basement of Henri's farmhouse where behind an old wine cellar lies a radio center for Allied communications. What lies ahead for Joe?

"Code Name Sonny" is a brilliantly written story of World War II and the valor of people in the French Resistance like Henri and young American men like Joe who grow into manhood overnight as they witness atrocities against innocent people. It is also a tale of modern day revenge carried out against deeds done long ago. Joe, or "Sonny" as his mother calls him, Joe's wife Claire, his son Jack and Jack's wife Emily, Henri, Marie and others from the time of World War II are totally believable. The suspense is first-rate as the plot unfolds to the story's end and will have the readers on the edge of their seats. "Code Name Sonny" should be on everyone's reading list as it is a remarkable, memorable book that will stay in people's minds for a long,long time.

Reviewed by Fiona Ingram for Readers' Favorite

Working as a researcher in the Vatican’s Secret Archives, Father Garbaldi finds an ancient papyrus hidden in a codex from Alexandria. He has no idea about the imminent events that will turn his world upside down, making him a fugitive from his own church. What he does know is that the information contained in the papyrus holds terrible repercussions for the Roman Catholic Church worldwide and for Western civilization as a whole. He decides, as a scientist, to have the papyrus independently validated. Members within the Vatican also have their hidden agendas, and those include protecting the position of the Church at all costs, even if it means eliminating potential threats. The Vatican Secret Service, The Entity, a secret body dating from the sixteenth century, briefs an assassin to remove obstacles and retrieve the document before it is published. Knowing only the name Tom Meecham, an FBI agent he read about in the newspaper, Father Garbaldi involves the FBI in this minefield of drama and high tension.

This is a must-read novel involving an international trail of investigation, historical cover-ups, some damning evidence about the Catholic Church (sensitive readers may not like!), and a whole lot of action guaranteed to make readers rethink Dan Brown for gripping drama. The author has also kept links with two interesting characters from previous novels: Thomas Meecham, FBI agent, and Mark Price, Department of Homeland Security. This keeps a familiar thread running through from previous novels ("Cry of Eagles" and "Towers of Darkness") and generates extra interest. The wealth of background research and information certainly adds to a story that spans a few thousand years and draws the reader back into centuries-old theological battles without overwhelming the plot. An interesting, compelling novel, which I recommend highly.

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

Hakeem, a simple shepherd, discovered an incredible archeology find in a crevasse in Afghanistan. He had taken refuge in the fissure that had opened due to missile fire. The first thing that caught his attention was two steps leading to a flat stone that looked like an altar, behind which was a tall pillar. The flat stone had characters carved into it. The explosions caused the artifact to break into pieces. The artifact ended up in the hands of an interpreter. Could it be Methuselah’s Pillar? Legend tells of a pillar given to Methuselah by his great grandfather (by several greats) Adam, the first man. It is believed the pillar contains information on how to live a long life and Methuselah lived 969 years. The legend continues purporting that the pillar has supernatural powers. Many want possession of the pillar including the CIA and extremists. Archeologist Samantha Conway is caught in the middle while the world crumbles around her.

I love this tale. It has action, adventure, drama, suspense, intrigue, danger, and a bit of romance. Author W. G. Griffith utilized Old Testament stories as well as modern events, such as terrorism. He grabbed my attention from the first page and held me captive until the last. He expertly tied together the beginning and the end. The plot would make a great movie with Ryan Reynolds and Scarlet Johnson in the leads. The characterization is perfection. Samantha is a strong woman willing to take risks and to take care of herself. John Decker is the ultimate hero but he could use more than a little help. Griffith is a talented author. I love the way he brought in the ever-present truths by combining the past and the present. Of course these topics are not politically correct and we are not “supposed” to talk about such things. Kudos Mr. Griffith! This is one of the best books I have read in years!