Mortal Threat by A. J. Tata

Blurb:

Medical school student Amanda Garrett and American doctors working secretly in Africa have found a cure for the Ebola and Human Immunodeficiency Viruses. Leaders of the Islamic State want the cure so they can show the world Islam is a benevolent religion that all Africans should follow. The President of the United States believes an alleged 30,000-year-old Sub-Saharan religious text called The Book of Catalyst identifies him as being of divine origin. As Amanda operates her portion of the clandestine CIA Project Nightingale in a Tanzanian orphanage, she is attacked and chased by brutal killers called The Leopard and The Cheetah. Amanda has 48 hours to escape across the Serengeti Plain before the remaining vials of the cure expire. The Islamic State escalates attacks across the Middle East using freshly converted fighters from Africa. The American President, however, chooses not to deploy sufficient troops to save U.S. Special Forces, including Amanda's husband, assisting in the air war against ISIS. As Amanda attempts to save the rapidly decomposing formula for the Ebola and HIV cures, she finds herself at the center of a clash between warring media titans, Jonathan Beckwith and Zhor al Rhazziq, who are following her every step toward the Olduvai Gorge, which some scientists claim to be the origin of human life.

Review by Rochelle Weber:

Mortal Threat, although the fourth book in a series, stood perfectly alone. There was enough back-story to bring me up to speed on the events in previous books. General Tata tied up the loose ends, so I didn’t feel left hanging and skillfully introduced the new character who would lead us into Book Five. He piqued my interest just enough to make me want to read it.

General Tata managed this and kept me burning through the pages, wondering what was going to happen next. I believed President Barkum was The Chosen One mentioned in The Book of Catalyst, and wondered what would happen next. I held my breath when Amanda Garrett fled the orphanage with her precious vials of The Cure, and the accompanying vaccines. I actually screamed aloud in places, yelling things like, “No! Don’t slow down! They’ll catch you!” as if the characters on the pages could hear me.

For a masterful thriller with elements of the spiritual that will make you think about your beliefs, by all means—run; don’t walk to your computer or book store and get Mortal Threat!

Length:  362 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $12.25

Digital:  $7.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Mortal-Threat-J-Tata/dp/1508483787/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429308490&sr=8-1&keywords=mortal+threat+a.j.+tata

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

Global Predator by Jack MacLean

Blurb:

As the CIA’s drones hunt for Ayman Al-Zawahiri, the Al Qaeda leader, in Pakistan’s northwest frontier, a British aid worker is seized by the local Taliban. Sally’s ex-boyfriend, Wilkins, is on the run after scamming his London bank. Now he finds himself reluctantly caught up in an armed raid to rescue Sally as the Taliban takes a school of girls hostage. As the net closes in on Wilkins has to find a way to save himself and the woman he loves.

Review by Rochelle Weber:

First, I feel as though the blurb is misleading.  Wilkins is a greedy, selfish man who uses his ex-girlfriend, Sally, to hide him after he’s ripped off the bank for which he works.  When he decides to go to Pakistan and help her with the charity schools for girls she runs, it’s not because he loves her and has missed her; it’s because he figures he can disappear there and not be extradited, even if someone does manage to find him.

When he gets there, he supports both Sally’s schools and the local war lord who has ties to the Taliban and Al Qaeda—the latter to save his own skin.  He pretends to convert to Islam for the same reason.  Throughout the book, every move Wilkins makes is fueled by one aim—to escape alive with his ill-gotten gains.  It’s only at the very end of the book that he finally decides he cares enough about Sally to save her, and even then he does so by condemning his former co-worker and co-conspirator to death at the hands of Al Qaeda.  I did not like this man and only kept reading because I cared about Sally and the CIA’s quest to take out the Al Qaeda leader responsible for implementing the 9/11 attacks on the USA.

I didn’t forget there’s a second.  I suspect this book was self-published.  When I saw all of the editing errors, I gave the author the benefit of the doubt since I was reading what I was fairly certain was an Advanced Review Copy.  But then when I transferred the blurb, I noticed grammar errors there and wondered.  So, I went to Amazon and compared the “Look Inside” sample and found the same errors.  The book is rife with them.  They are glaring and distracting.  It’s not just a matter of British usage versus US usage.  I’m a Britophile.  I watch as much British TV on PBS and BBC America as I do US TV, and at a car show I asked the owner of a classic car whether it had a rumble seat or a boot.  I also know the difference between US and British spelling.

And…I know when the number or tense of a subject and verb should agree, and when extra words should have been removed in the rewrite.  And I could tell Mr. MacLean a thing or two about the overuse of the phrase “began to.”  Don’t just “begin to.”  DO it!  Use an active verb, and shoot the guy; don’t begin to shoot!  It’s weak and wordy.

Yeah, I’m a tough audience.  But really; if you’re self-publishing, hire an editor.  And if you’re editing, buy a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style and read it.  And then find some books on strong writing versus weak and wordy writing and read them.  Do your authors a favor and edit their books.  Thanks for letting me vent.

Length:  269 Pages

Kindle Price:  2.51

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Global%20Predator%20%2B%20Jack%20MacLean

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

K9 Blue: Ground Zero by Matt McCredie

Blurb:

Police dog handler Mike Winters and his furry partner Falcon love a good chase. They’ll do anything to protect the streets of Sydney, whether it’s tracking a murderer through the woods or breaking up a bar brawl. It’s all fun and games until the bad guy gets hurt. And then it’s just fun.

Lately though, it seems that violent incidents are on the rise. When Mike and Falcon’s beloved commander is killed in action, Mike is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice, but he has no idea just how deep this malevolent plot runs. A terrorist organisation has devised a plan to attack the city from all sides, and they have taken over a refueling ship in Sydney Harbour.

Mike and Falcon must use all of their wit and courage to battle the killers, expose police corruption, and, if they’re lucky, save a city from obliteration.

Review:

I love animals as long as they have legs, but I especially love furry ones. And I deeply respect Service Animals, especially the ones who put their lives on the line along with their partners—Police and War Dogs. So how could I resist a book about a K-9 Officer and his four-legged partner? With Australia on my bucket list, what could be better than a book about an Aussie K-9 team?

The time during which this book takes place, however, would not be the best time to visit Sydney. Try as they might, Mike and Falcon are unable to stop the entire terrorist attack on their beloved city. There are only two of them and they can’t be everywhere at once stopping a multi-pronged attack. But, they’re in the thick of it, and between Mike’s quick thinking and Falcon’s iron jaws they give a pretty good account of themselves.

Mr. McCredie, the dog on your book cover caught my attention. Your excellent writing kept it. The only reason I did not give you five stars is that your editor needs to go back to school and learn a bit more basic grammar. I would have expected better from a major publisher like HarperCollins. I received this book from NetGalley. Was it a proof copy? Were some of the glitches I noticed caught and fixed before the actual release? I fervently hope so.

Length:  241 Pages

Digital Price:  $2.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/K9-Blue-Ground-Matt-McCredie-ebook/dp/B00HTTGAJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405544387&sr=8-1&keywords=k9+blue+ground+zero

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie & Rochelle