Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT Dance With The Enemy by Rob Sinclair

Today we have a review from team member Cathy, she blogs at http://betweenthelinesbookblog.wordpress.com

Cathy chose to read and review Dance With The Enemy by Rob Sinclair

Dance With The Enemy introduces Carl Logan, a covert operative for a British/USA Joint Intelligence Agency, who is on medical leave and in recovery after a life changing ordeal. Before his recuperation is complete he’s called in by his boss, Charles McCabe, when US Attorney General Frank Modena is abducted. When Logan learns Youseff Selim, the brutal terrorist who left him for dead five months ago could be involved with the kidnapping, he recognises a chance for revenge as his brief is to rescue Modena. The question is, is Logan ready for this new assignment? Most of the agency members don’t think so, only Mackie, Logan’s boss, is in his corner. Logan himself isn’t totally sure he’s up to this job. His previous assignment has had a profound effect on him, he’s lost the ability to contain and ignore the emotions he was trained to hold in check for the most part of his adult life.

As Logan follows the trail which he hopes will lead to Modena and more importantly to Selim, he reluctantly teams up with FBI Agent Angela Grainger. Each is wary of the other and although they are working together, Logan is pursuing his own agenda. It seems he’s not the only one. The deeper Logan and Grainger delve and the more the case evolves and the less straightforward it becomes. The layers of deceit and lies need to be peeled back one by one to find the motives and the real mastermind behind the conspiracy.

The writing is extremely well done and very descriptive with easy, genuine dialogue and realistic scenarios. Carl Logan is an intriguing character, complex and although he is recovering from the physical and mental damage he sustained he has the odd lapse, which makes him more human and realistic. He prefers to work alone and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. He’s circumspect when it comes to his job but has an emotional sensitivity giving his personality a balanced quality. His back story is revealed little by little throughout the story. I like that, although he’s determined and strong-willed, he can be unsure of himself and sensitive at times.

The action scenes are exciting, tense and cleverly devised. A great cast of characters, Mackie especially and there’s good interaction between him and Logan. The pace is maintained from the beginning with a fast-moving story and the twist at the end is totally unexpected. A strong, dramatic and enjoyable debut novel.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Guest Author Tony Riches

 

Today our guest is Tony Riches author of yesterday’s book “The Shell”, here is a link to the post if you missed it. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5uP

Let’s find out more about Tony.

Author interview with Tony Riches:

 

1) Where is your home town?

I live in the by the coast in Pembrokeshire, rural West Wales, UK.

2) How long have you been writing?

I started writing for a wide range of magazines in my twenties, then had my first successful non-fiction book, which became an Amazon best-seller.

3) What was the one idea behind the writing of “The Shell”?

My wife and I found ourselves in a very dangerous situation, alone on a remote beach while on holiday in Mombasa. On the flight home I started thinking about what could have happened and decided it would make a great story.

4) What safety precautions did Lucy and Steve ignore whilst on holiday?

Like we did, my fictional couple were blissfully unaware of the dangers – until it was too late. We were told to ask for an escort at all times, and not to go exploring the beach away from the hotel.

5) What is a dhow?

A dhow is a primitive but effective wooden sailing boat with a distinctive triangular sail used by the local people to fish along the coast of the Indian Ocean. They are a common sight on holiday in Mombasa.

6) Who was Lucy kidnapped by and why?

My heroine Lucy was kidnapped by members of one of the many armed gangs roaming the coast of northern Kenya, particularly close to the border with Somalia. It was ‘opportunistic’ as they saw a chance to make a fortune from holding her for ransom.

7) Where were the kidnappers taking Lucy?

The region to the north east of Kenya is very hard to police, with vast expanses of desert and jungle which offered good hiding places. The kidnappers were taking her to one of their remote camps, where she could be held indefinitely.

8) What was the importance of keeping the kidnapping low profile and the media reporting controlled?

The value of the tourist industry to Kenya is immense, so the authorities prefer to keep any incidents low profile while they can. The British Consulate also has a policy of not supporting paying of ransoms to kidnappers, so this is sometimes done in secret.

9) You set aside your book when you first wrote it, why?

While I was writing The Shell another couple were attacked on the beach. The wife was kidnapped for ransom and sadly the husband was murdered trying to save her. I was more than half way through writing the novel and didn’t want anyone to think I was exploiting their misfortune, so I put it on hold. (A ransom was eventually paid to the kidnappers and the woman was safely returned.)

10) Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

More information about The Shell and my other books can be found here: http://tonyrichesauthor.wordpress.com/.   I also have a blog, The Writing Desk at http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/ and am on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5604088.Tony_Riches

 

The Shell Video Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZy_4X4_9BY

Tony Riches is a full time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, one of the most unspoilt areas of the UK. His first novel, Queen Sacrifice was written after looking into the early history of Wales and seeing the parallels to a game of chess, with kings and queens, bishops and castles – and the people becoming pawns in their civil wars. When not writing Tony enjoys sea and river kayaking. He also enjoys hiking and plans to complete the full 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire Coast path which passes fifty-eight beautiful beaches and fourteen harbours. You can find him on Twitter @tonyriches and his new Facebook Author Page

 

 

 

 

Find a copy of the book here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

 

Thank you Tony, your book is a stark warning to all tourists.

The Shell by Tony Riches

The Shell by Tony Riches

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly the book cover is very striking, the eye looking deeply out at you, connects to the book in several places. You never know just who is watching you. This story is about the kidnapping of Lucy a British tourist on holiday in Mombasa, Kenya with her husband Steve. They ignore the safety warnings about not leaving the hotel beach and sadly are the victims of desperate people who see rich westerners as an easy money source.

Although the British Government policy is not to pay ransoms, I’m sure any family who have a member kidnapped will do anything to get them safely back. This book resonates with many actual kidnapping cases in war-torn and dangerous parts of the world.

Lucy is taken first by boat and then lorry towards to border with Somalia. It is believed she is taken by rebels sympathetic to the local Pokomo tribes. The Pokomo are a settled agricultural people who constantly fight over land and water with the nomadic cattle-herding Orma peoples. Mixed with this the political unrest caused by enforced borders and there is a ticking time-bomb in the whole area.

Lucy’s husband was knocked unconscious in the kidnap attack and wakes on the beach to find Lucy gone. With the help of the hotel staff, the local police and the British Consulate the search for Lucy begins. Lucy is taken on a frightening journey and must rely on her inner strength and common sense to make the most of every opportunity that presents itself to her.

The main kidnapping story is supported by a lot of back story in the form of day dreams, memories and dreams from both Steve and Lucy. I did enjoy reading about the tribal conflicts and how the peoples of Kenya lived and dealt with everyday incidents. So much of the real people’s lives are lost in news reports which focus on the violence and horror. Tourism brings much money to poor countries but it also brings new problems which affect the balance of nature and those who live a simpler life.

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Find a copy of the book here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Tony will join us tomorrow on the blog as our guest author do come back and find out more about him and his writing.

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

Boot Camp Bride by Lizzie Lamb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lizzie Lamb’s characters are so lovable, Charlee became my buddy from the very first line. She was fiery unpredictable and quite honestly a delightful handful. Charlee Montague is an intern at “What’Cha” Magazine, the lowest of the low and given the worst jobs. But she has a passion to make it big and her feisty attitude nearly gets her in to BIG trouble at the book awards when she gives her honest opinion about photographs by high profile author Rafael Fonseca-Ffinch.

Next day instead of being fired she’s given the chance to redeem herself with a story about a young Royal playing away from home. But she has a partner and she must face Ffinch. Her best friend Poppy fills her in on Ffinch; kidnapped in Columbia by the Aguilas Negra, he was left to die, until he was rescued by an Amazon tribe. Now he’s putting all the proceeds of the book in to a hospital boat and Charlee must eat humble pie.

The short story piece is only the tip of the iceberg and Charlee finds herself going the extra mile to get her scoop. Faking an engagement and booking herself in to a Boot Camp for Brides, Charlee’s fulfilling the role, but what is it that Ffinch isn’t telling her? Frustrated Charlee threatens to find the truth herself and just how long will it take for her to also see what else is standing right before her eyes?

Lizzie Lamb will be out guest author on the blog tomorrow, come back and meet Lizzie and find out more about her work.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews On Goodreads.

Win an e-copy of Boot Camp Bride.

Congratulations to E.L. Lindley.

 

Letter A on the A to Z April Challenge

Letter A on the A to Z Challenge, and we’re off and blogging our way through the alphabet. 26 posts all letter related. There are over 1900 bloggers signed up for this challenge, it’s going to be HUGE! My big thanks to Arlee Bird (check out his blog called Tossing it out, with the link I’ve set up at the end of this post) and his team of hosts, co-hosts and helpers who have worked really hard to organise this huge event.

My book for the letter A is “A World Apart” by Camelia Miron Skiba Genre: Romance

In a war that’s not hers she loses everything. Everything she loses is because of him. Forgiveness is not an option. Or maybe…

Lieutenant Cassandra Toma, trauma surgeon in the Romanian National Army starts her deployment at the joint-unit air base M. Kogalniceanu on a wrong foot, clashing on her first day with her new commander, Major David Hunt. Her rebellious nature and sassiness rival her excellent performance in the operating room—the only reason why she’s not reprimanded, or maybe not the only reason.

They meet. They clash. A forbidden passion consumes them with the intensity of an erupting volcano, leaving her heartbroken and him with tarnished honour and pride as an officer. The only way out for David is disappearing into the dangerous warzone in Iraq. Their flame was supposed to be over when destiny brings them back under the same roof, this time with a common goal—to find Cassandra’s brother, Major Robert Toma, kidnapped by insurgents while on patrol.

To rescue Robert, Cassandra and David put aside their resentments, uniting forces against a common enemy. Trying to forget the painful past, Cassandra opens up to give David—and their love—another chance. What she doesn’t realize is that her anguish is the result of David’s impetuous action—one reckless choice he made for which she may never forgive him.
His mistake, his secret, could cost them both the love they’ve finally found.

Amazon.com   or Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

WEBSITE: LOVE. WTHOUT YOU http://authorcameliamironskiba.com/

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/Camelia.M.Skiba

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4864495.Camelia_Miron_Skiba

TWITTER: @CamiSkiba

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:           Camelia Miron Skiba

http://www.amazon.com/Camelia-Miron-Skiba/e/B007C79L1S/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Here are some randomly chosen links to other bloggers also doing the challenge, please visit them and leave comments too.

http://tossingitout.blogspot.co.uk/

http://janakinagaraj.com/

http://henderson-jo.blogspot.co.uk/

During the challenge we are asking people to leave comments on as many blogs as possible, every supportive comment is appreciated.

Please Call Me Derek by Mac Black

Please… Call Me Derek by Mac Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Please Call me Derek is a grown up comedy following the events in Derek’s life. It begins with a little introduction to Derek as a child and explains some of the history behind the large Supermarket called Bisko’s which was built on an old piece of derelict ground which young Derek and his friends used to play on.

We next meet Derek aged 29 years old and leaving his current job with the wild idea of becoming an author. Circumstances and unfortunate events find Derek struggling to write and in need of finding a new job.

The book is full of some great characters, I loved Derek’s full name, Derek Toozlethwaite. There is Rob the newspaper editor with a gambling debt to pay, a banker with a hidden secret, his wife Muriel, the victim of a kidnapping and many more. Derek lives with his Grandparents, his Grandad has a paper-round which he does on his bike, while his Gran is doing a study on the benefits of keeping the aging mind active.

There is an unusual element in the book in that many of the characters don’t drive cars and they rely on cycling which adds to the comedy. Grandad’s bike has it’s own starring role in the proceedings more than once, and hopefully someone will give it some loving oil soon.

Throughout the story the local police force are half a step behind most of the goings on, and it seems to be the intent of the characters to outwit the police any way they can, from the very beginning chapter when Derek arrives home with a very large security dog on his trail, to the end when the detective known as Andy Pandy finally throws in the towel.

The plot revolves around a complicated kidnapping, with several twists and turns, leave no stone unturned whilst reading this and beat the detective to the bottom of this crime if you can. Yet despite all that happens to Derek, by the end he finds inspiration for his new book, we leave Derek deeply involved in character fieldwork and look forward to reading more in the next book entitled “Derek in Trouble”.

This book is pure entertainment.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Author Mac Black will be our guest on the blog tomorrow, do come back and find out more about him.

View all my reviews on Goodreads.