Blogs / Reviews

For most authors, I like to give three strikes and then I’m done with that writer. This is strike two out of two for this author. And I’m in no hurry to read a third. This FBI thriller, so it’s subtitled, is about justice. In a way, the killer’s motivation is vengeance, though I struggled with the motivation as being enough to go on a killing spree. No redemption. By the end of the story, I really disliked the main character, Rachel Gift…

Justice and vengeance are served in this mid-1980’s mystery novel featuring Travis McGee. It’s the second MacDonald I’ve read. Neither have overly impressed me. He is considered one of the masters of mystery writing, but I’ve yet to find a masterpiece. I have four more of his books as part of this collection, so maybe one of them will be good…

This 2026 Edgar Award winner for best novel features justice and mental health redemption for one of the characters. This is the twentieth Elvis Cole / Joe Pike mystery. It’s the first I’ve read since number one, which I remember enjoying. I also enjoyed this book…

This story is all about revenge. What revenge? You’ll have to read it. It’s a short novel and it’s free. Not available for sale. You must go to Mr. McGregor’s website and download the book. It’s worth the time and effort…

This one-hundred-and-thirty-page novella hits all the key themes. Justice, vengeance, and redemption. About three quarters into the story the reader discovers the complex vengeance plot. This is a stand-alone thriller and definitely worth the read. If this was my first James Scott Bell, I’d want to read more of his stuff. It’s not and I will continue to read more of his books…

The theme here is mainly justice. There is a hint of redemption. The motives are greed and power, not vengeance. This is a short thriller novella (130 pages) featuring Silence Jones, an assassin working for a secret government agency. I know, cliché, but still fun. This is a prequel to the Silence Jones series…