Thursday, May 6, 2010

Earth Strike


Star Carrier Book One
Ian Douglas
Eos An Imprint of Harper Collins
$7.95


Book one of this series launches a war that Planet Earth has to win.  The Sh’dar an alien race of beings, is on a path to destroy anything in its way.  Earth is just one of the planets that are to be its target.  Humans know they are on the way because intelligence gathering organizations have relayed to the highest authorities that Earth is one of the objectives of this species.  The situation is critical.  Humans have only so much time to prepare for the onslaught of foreign beings
The novel appears to have everything that would make for an excellent science fiction tale.   It’s got military personnel, faster than light speed ships, aliens that are out to destroy anything in their path much like the Borg from “Star Trek” 
What the novel does not have is human characters that you really care about. The story is filled with lots of people, and the writing races along but I found I really had no one that I really have a concern for.  They are just military soldiers caught up in a war to save humanity. 
I’ve not read anything else by this author and don’t really want to because one of the complaints many readers and I have of newer science fiction is that the writers tell stories that are filled with great gadgets, lots of fighting, knowledge of science, but are lacking in characters that you empathize with.  One of the reasons authors like Asimov, Clarke, and Heinlein are still in print today is they did not concentrate on the technology but rather how it affected the people in the story.  The populace was also believable and if it was a war with any creature from outer space you wanted the humans to win.  Here I really don’t care what happens.
Chris Berman’s “The Hive” is a much better read on the same type of situation because; you like and care about his characters as they face the alien menace. 
 
www.eosbooks.com
www.amaaon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Wilderness



Dennis Danvers
Eos An Imprint of Harper Collins
$7.95


College professor Erik Summers has a situation any person would love: two beautiful women competing for his affection.  On the one hand there is his next door neighbor Alice White; on the second hand his recently divorced ex wife Debra.  To add to his circumstances there are several female students who are also in love with him   As if that were not enough conflict, Alice is in therapy about a secret that she finally reveals to Eric.
This novel is classified in the horror genre and is easy to see once the secret is revealed why.  The author fills the story with believable characters caught up in the web that is cast by Alice.  The situation she is dealing with is real but no one believes her until her closet life is revealed.
What made the tale more interesting was the character Debra, who divorced Eric and wants him back just for the fun of it and to create a wedge in the relationship he has with Alice.
I found this novel to be one of the most fascinating novels I have read in a long time.  What Alice does with dog food when she does not own one is very interesting and memorable as well as the way in which her underground life is revealed makes for a shocking revelation.  What makes this more remarkable is that the people Dennis Danvers writes about are not so far fetched.  They are realistic caught up in the some conflicts that are similar to ones we all face every day. Wilderness is a first class read that should be at the top of anyone’s list who likes a good horror or fantasy page turner.  

www.eosbooks.com
www.amazaon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Invaders A Quinn Martin TV Series



James Rosin
The Autumn road Company
$17.95

 
Finally there is a book about the classic TV series that lasted just two seasons.  It’s easy to see why, with the behind the scenes information the author researched.  ABC made many changes to the format while they also shifted the show so that no one could ever find it.  The author interviewed many of the people behind the show as well as Roy Thinnes,  the actor who played David Vincent.  There are also episode guides, explanations for such things as what was the influence that helped name the character David Vincent,   bios for many of the guest stars, and lots of great pictures and trivia any fan should not miss.  This is a great resource to use to further enjoy the two different seasons on DVD and Blue Ray Disc.   

www.classictvseriesbooks.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Split Image



Robert B. Parker
Putnam
$26.95


This, I am sad to say, is one of the last books written by this author.  It is a good one of the Jessie Stone series.  Stone still has his addiction to booze and is the tough sheriff of Paradise.  Sunny Randall is also in this great novel that races along to its final conclusion.  The trademark of snappy dialogue is also here as well.   Parker was the master of this type of tale. I, for one, will miss this author when the final book is published later this year

www.penguin.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Wild Zone



Joy Fielding
Atria
$25.00

Fielding is back with another great nail biting suspense novel.  This time it starts a little slower, with the characters who meet up in the bar “The Wild Zone.”  As readers get to know them they begin to evolve and change until the final smashing blow away surprise ending.  Everything is not as it seems with this one.  Fielding takes readers on a roller coaster ride that never lets go.  This is one of her best in years. 

www.simonandSchuster.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Tea Party Revival The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn



Dr. B. Leland Baker
Outskirts Press Inc
$11.95

 
People are fed up with government because the system is broken and no one knows how to fix it.  That is very obvious after reading this book about the party that fashions itself after the original.  The thing is this group is nothing like the first one and if they were in control this country would be back in the stone ages.  Tea Party people want the elimination of the court system, Department of Transportation, and every other office that is on a federal level.  I want to ask any of them who have served in the military.  How many partook of the GI Bill and go through the veteran’s administration for medical care?  Also how many people use the interstate highway system that we have in this country’.  Their answer of just tack whatever you want on the constitution as an amendment is plain stupid.  This is a party to stay away from because they are so negative. 

www.outskirtspress.com
www.amazon.com  

Review by Gary Roen

Never Look Away



Linwood Barclay
Delacorte
$25.00

 
Wow this is the second book I’ve read by this author and, like “Fear the Worst,” it had me turning the pages and going “what’s next?”  He begins the story with an outing to a theme park with David Harwood, his son and wife.   The story begins in the prologue where David thinks his son has been kidnapped.  By the end of it,  he finds his son but has lost his wife.  She has just disappeared from the face of the earth.  He searches for her and finds out nothing is really what it seemed.  He is determined to find out what happened.   The novel roars like a run away freight train until the final smashing ending.  Barclay is a great suspense writer. 

www.linwoodbarclay.com
www.bantamdell.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Power of Vitamin D



Sarfraz Zaidi, MD
Outskirts Press Inc
$15.95

 
This is a groundbreaking book that shows the influence vitamin D has on our health.  The doctor tells people being outside in the sun is not the best way to get the vitamin because what we thought many years ago is no longer true.  He shows how being deficient opens us up for so many diseases.  Zaidi also tells many other ways to compensate and why it is so important for our wellbeing.  The book is easy to understand and reveals a lot of new scientific information. 

www.outskirtspress.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Shadow of Your Smile



Mary Higgins Clark
Simon & Schuster
$25.99

 
I wanted to like this one but found it too confusing with three separate plotlines that went along until the very end where she tied them up.  The writing was slow shortly into it, and never got better.  The opening drew me as Olivia Morrow was told she had a short time to live.  The author just did not hold my interest with this one.  I have to say ho hum. Maybe here next one will be better. 

www.simonandSchuster.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To The Future



Michael J. Fox
Hyperion Books
$17.99


This third book by Fox goes into a little more detail of his relationship with Gary David Goldberg and his “Back to the Future” movies.  He also continues to be so positive about his Parkinson’s disease.  The book is interesting and very candid.  He has a lot to say and does it very well. 

www.HypoerionBooks.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Lethal Legacy



Linda Fairstein
Anchor Books
$7.99

 
It begins with a victim of assault who does not want to talk to the police or the DA about the crime.  The novel races along with many twists and turns to satisfy any fan of legal thrillers.  Linda Fairstein is one to put on your must read list. 

www.anchorbooks.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Lucid Intervals



Stuart Woods
Putnam
$25.95


Here is another story of Stone Barrington.  This time Stone has several friends and enemies back to fill the mystery and twists that Woods is known for The novel is typical Stone Barrington and Stuart Woods action.

www.penguin.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Collaborator Rules 101 Surefire Ways to Stay Friends With Your Co-Author



Sally Shields
Safflower Publishing Inc
$12.95


I’m not a big fan of partnerships in writing because so many of the ones I’ve been in and that I’ve seen end up so negative. I have to say though if there is a formula to not have problems this is the best resource to guide the two writers to a happy working relationship. Shields easily points out 101 surefire ways to avoid major problems. The book is easy to follow and has a lot of simple things that people never think to do. Class 101 Collaborator Rules is now in session.

www.sallyshields.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Never Say “I’m on a diet.” Learn Energy Balance For Weight Loss That Stays Lost



George R Gressell BA, BSN, RN
Helm Publishing
$10.00


I loved this book that is the first that I know of to teach people to stop thinking they are on a diet. Instead he talks about eating in moderation. He tells why it is a better approach and that taking off weight and keeping it off is healthier than the standard failed routine we all know and hate. This is a fresh approach that really works and is a groundbreaking method.

www.publishersdrive.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The 9th Judgment



James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Little Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group USA
$27.95


Wow, these Women’s Murder Club novels just keep getting better and better. Lindsay Boxer is on the trail of a killer who viciously kills mothers and their children. She is also working on a case of an actor’s wife who was shot and killed by a suspected cat burglar. Boxer has her hands full with the two cases. The novel races along to its final surprising ending with lots of twists and turns the authors are known for.

www.HatchetteBookGroupUSA.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

What About the Children? What’s the Strategy to Prevent These Tragedies?



Dianne Nelson
Outskirts Press Inc
$12.95

Child abuse is a hot topic these days and this book deals with a different perspective of the issue. The author delves into the realm of foster parents and how they abuse children. This should have been a first class expose. Instead it is a very poorly written account of the situations the author was in. Breonna is the girl the author tells about. The author, for some reason, never gives her sister a name; she is just Breonna’s sister. The writing is sluggish and the author tells a series of events with nothing that leads into them. We also know nothing about Dianne Nelson other than she lives and works in Maryland. The reader never really knows the age of Breonna throughout the work. It reads like a series of thoughts on the part of the author. Another thing is that the title has very little to do with anything depicted in the book. She also shows no strategy to avoid this situation. I have been a defender of self publish and POD books for a long time. This is a shining example of why they get the negative attention they receive.

www.outskirtspress.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Breach



Patrick Lee
Harper Thriller
$7.99


It begins for Travis Chase, an ex-con/ex-cop, in the Alaskan wilds when he stumbles upon a crashed 747. Among the dead passengers is the wife of the President of the United States. So begins a tale that has lots of twists and turns and nail biting suspense until the final page. This is a new author to look for in the future.

www.harpercollins.com
www.patrickleefiction.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Just After Sunset



Stephen King
Pocket Books
$9.99


I don’t read many of the newer novels of Stephen King because they are so long winded. But I have to say that this collection of short fiction is very good. More like the author I read a long time ago. The 14 stories are scary tales that should have readers reading into the wee hours of the morning. I also like the introduction King wrote on why he continues to write shorter fiction.

www.simonandSchuster.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Fear the Worst



Linwood Barclay
Dell
$24.95


Before this one I had never read this author. I will have to add him to my list of authors to look for because he tells a walloping tale of a father’s search for his lost daughter. Barclay has a lot of weird characters who fill this suspenseful novel. Tim Blake is looking for his daughter who disappeared without a trace. He begins to learn that not everything is as it seems with her and her friends. He is obsessed with finding out what happened to her. The characters are believable in the tense nail biting situations that lead to a shattering climax. Barclay is a first class writer in the genre.

www.linwoodbarclay.com
www.bantamdell.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Finger Lickin Fifteen



Janet Evanovich
St. Martin’s Press
$27.95


I have enjoyed the series and this one has a lot of good things about it. The pacing is fast with fun characters in humorous situations. Stephanie Plum is involved in a lot of complicated circumstances that are entertaining reading The one thing I’ve noticed is that Evanovich has put in a lot of toilet humor throughout the work. I, for one do not understand authors who feel they have to resort to that kind of comedy to get a laugh. In all the writings of Donald E. Westlake, the master of the comic caper, I can’t remember ever reading toilet humor in any of his long body of work. It will be a while before I read another Plum novel after this one.

www.stmartins.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

Bailey’s Day



By Robert Haggerty
Illustrated by Bobbi Switzor
Outskirts Press Inc
$17.95


This is a kid’s book about a dog named Bailey who has a fun day out of the house with his numerous friends. The author tells his delightful story with illustrations that add to the story. At the end of the book are pictures of the real Bailey.

www.outskirtspress.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

RV Canada On A Dime And A Dream



Barb Rees
Dreams Inspirations Seminars
Powell River BC Canada Bailey’s Day
$20.00


In diary form the writer tells the story of her husband and herself and how they drove their RV from one side of Canada to the other. The trip began in Powel River and concluded in Halifax. Along the way they sold items at farmer’s markets and flea markets to make some money. There are lots of travel hints on how to save money and lots of interesting people Rees met along the way. She also deals with repairs to the engine and how complicated they sometimes can be. The book is a fun excursion throughout the huge country to the north that most Americans know very little about This is also a fine resource to learn about Canada.

www.write2dream.com
www.amazon.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Principal’s Office



Josette Dixon-Hall
Legacy Publishing Services Inc
$13.99


It used to be for students if you were called to the principal’s office it meant you were in trouble. For a teacher it was possibly a conference with a parent. The author has an entirely different take on when a teacher is called into the office of the headmaster. Now it is for the purpose of sexual gratification of the male administrator. The author shows that sexual harassment in the school environment is way too common and that we must begin to address the problem.

www.LegacyBookPublishing.com

Review by Gary Roen

Kisser



Stuart Woods
Putnam
$25.95


Stone Barrington is back in action in the 17th novel of the series. This time Stone has three situations going on at the same time. Here are two of them: a woman who has left Atlanta to escape her ex husband. Unfortunately he has followed her to New York for the purpose of killing her. Stone is asked to help protect her. The police are after an artist who is selling drugs. Stone is recruited to assist law enforcement. I had to laugh though when Stone is talking to Dino at dinner complaining that he is sexually overworked by three women. The novels have always had lots of steamy sex and that was just too funny to hear Stone complain about it. The story moves along with plenty of snappy dialogue interesting plots, and characters you really like that make it another great Stuart Woods tale.

www.penguin.com

Review by Gary Roen

Lucifer Rising



Barbara Fifield
Outskirts Press Inc
$10.95


The author shows the power a religious cult can have over an individual’s life. Elsa Eldridge works for the local paper in Daytona, Beach Florida. Her assignment by her editor is to profile the head of a local faction of a holy group. She begins to find that she is mesmerized by this man and that she will do anything for him. The novel shows the frightening hold groups like this have on people, no matter what their level of education is. The novel is a warning that should be heeded.

www.outskirtspress.com

Review by Gary Roen

Worst Case



James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Little Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group USA
$27.95


I did not like the first novel “Step on a Crack” because the author’ spent too much time on Michael Bennett’s ten children. I am happy to say this one concentrates on the case of detective Michael Bennett and it’s a terrific nail biter suspense tale Someone is snatching children of wealthy families and giving them a test. If they pass they live; if not then he kills them. Patterson and Ledwidge have written a fast paced thriller that races along with many twists that make it the best of the series.

www.HatchetteBookGroupUSA.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Secret Between Us



Barbara Delinsky
Anchor Books
$7.99


Before this novel I had never read anything by this author. I am delighted to say she is one great writer. The story begins with a mother and daughter driving in a heavy rain storm who hit a runner. Unexpectedly he dies. As the tale unfolds many of the characters are carrying secrets that eventually are exposed. The beauty of this author’s story is that the dialog and characters are realistic. Delinsky is one I have added to my list of favorite authors

www.anchorbooks.com
www.barbaradelinsky.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Sculptor



Gregory Funaro
Kensington Publishing Co
$6.99


Wow, this one is very weird. A killer leaves parts of bodies in an artistic form in the mode of different Michelangelo works. The F.B.I. has few clues until they ask for the assistance of art historian Cathy Hildebrant. She is able to help them to better understand what they are up against. The author has written a suspenseful tale that has many bizarre twists and turns. The killer and the way he leaves his victims is memorable and the story is an out of the ordinary suspense story.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

Review by Gary Roen

Nomad’s Land Point of Reference Series, Book One



J. Allen Adams
Helm Publishing
$14.95


This is the first of a series of science fiction novels. I did not understand some of the scientific concepts the author deals with but you really don’t need to, because the story takes the reader along as the humans meet so many interesting alien characters. There are also several conflicts that are resolved by the end. This is an enjoyable first novel.

www.publishersdrive.com

Review by Gary Roen

Plain Written Poems

Anthony Antin
Outskirts Press Inc
Denver, Colorado
$12.95


Antin tackles many subjects in poetic form. Some are free verse while others rhyme. All are very interesting perspectives on many things we all take for granted. The nice thing about this book is that all of the works are easy to read and will give many readers have a better appreciation of poetry.

www.outskirtspress.com

Review by Gary Roen

The Hive


Chris Berman
Xpress Yourself Publishing LLC
$15.95


Humanity is in trouble because an alien race is on a collision course while destroying everything in its path. The novel reminded me of the “Borg” from “Star Trek.” Berman has characters that are well fleshed out and a writing style that takes the reader on a whirlwind ride to the final confrontation between the two races of beings. The author also intersperses humor, and the novel is the first of many by this talented writer.

www.xpressyourselfpublishing.org

Review by Gary Roen

Kill Dress



John Young
Outskirts Press Inc
$11.95


The author had a good idea with the dress made by a little old lady, but he uses too many of the same words too many times on a page that slowed the progression of the story, while the characters were not believable. There are only two positive things I can say: it has an end and it is a short read. Don’t bother wasting any time with this one. It’s just not worth it unless you want to endure terrible writing, plotting and ridiculous characters.

www.outskirtspress.com

Review by Gary Roen