Tag: thriller

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The Killing of Mummy’s Boy by Joan Ellis Review:

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!

A fresh new take on the thriller genre takes form in The Killing of Mummy’s Boy, an incredible novel written by Joan Ellis. Written to feel like
a classic, 1970’s era murder/mystery British film, the novel follows Sandra, a young woman who’s son Carl is in the Witness Protection Programme.
Aboard a train, she meets a stranger, who’s past is steeped in murder. Unknown to her at the time, she reports a missing card on the phone and
gives out her personal information for Ben, the murderer she meets on the train, to hear. With her son on the run after helping put local
gangster Lee Elliot behind bars for murder, Sandra finds herself alone and afraid as this mysterious murderer now knows her address, and so much
more. Soon she is in a hair-raising, high-stakes game of life and death as someone begins breaking into her home, and she begins to cross paths
with Ben in several unexpected ways.

The artful way this book is written gives tribute to the rich culture of England, from the streets of London to the isolated countryside. The
internal struggle of Sandra is heart-pounding and emotional as well, allowing the reader to empathize and feel the pain she suffers as the story
progresses. What really sets this story apart from others is the great attention to detail, whether it’s through the settings of the story to the
chaotic character exchanges or the twists and turns in the story itself. The Killing of Mummy’s Boy is a phenomenal hit thriller for author
Joan Ellis, and the exploration of moral integrity, right and wrong and the true meaning of family are expertly explored throughout the novel.
Pick up your copy of The Killing of Mummy’s Boy by Joan Ellis today!

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Interview with Frank Freudberg:

1) Tell us a little about yourself and your book, Baby Please Don’t Go.


I’m a ghost writer, journalist and novelist. I’m married with one
teenage son and we live outside of Philadelphia. I’ve been writing all
my life. I’ve always loved writing and working for myself – even going
as far as dropping out of high school to pursue my craft. I believe in
Mark Twain’s adage: Never let your schooling interfere with your
education.

2) What was the inspiration for this novel?


My son – and every parent’s nightmare: losing a child, no matter how that loss may occur.

3) What would you say the biggest difference/challenge was between writing this novel and your previous novel, Find Virgil?


The two books are wholly different and Find Virgil is a pure thriller while Baby Please Don’t Go fits squarely in a non-existent genre some have called “modern noir romance.”

4) What or who inspired you to create the characters in this book, like Lock and Natalie?


The two characters you mention are amalgams of people I know, including a few people who I wish I didn’t know.

5) What authors or books helped inspire you and your writing?


Thomas Berger, author of 20 novels, including Little Big Man. I like to say he’s America’s greatest living novelist – however, I can’t say that as he died a year and a half ago.

6) What would you say interests you more from a writer’s perspective: developing the plot or the characters?


That’s
an easy one for me: characters. Once I have detected a heartbeat within
a character I’m trying to bring to life, the plot kind of suggests
itself. “Character is drama,” someone said. I agree.

7) What characters in Baby Please Don’t Go do you sympathize or identify with more than the others?


I most identify with Lock; I share some of his troubles and some of his joy.

8) Have you ever wanted to dabble in other genres besides the thriller genre, or is this a genre you are passionate about?


I
don’t feel like I need to stick with one genre. I love writing and I
write what presents itself to me. In both the novels mentioned in this
interview, I wrote the books and only then did I notice that (at least
one of them) might fit into an established genre. I’ve often wondered if
there’s a genre called, “Don’t Waste Your Time,” since that was the
sentiment of more than one Amazon reviewer. Speaking of Amazon
reviewers, I recently received a 1-star review that simply said,
“Haven’t read it yet.” I guess she’s clairvoyant.

9) If you could bring any of your characters to life and have a sit down chat with them, who would it be and why?


It would be Lock’s boy Augie. If I state why I’d want to chat with him, I’d be providing a spoiler, so, I can’t elaborate.

10) What advice would you give to any aspiring writers out there?


“Sit
in your chair and relentlessly put black on white” and, to quote
novelist Rita Mae Brown, “Don’t hope more than you’re willing to work.”

Thank
you so much for speaking with us, and I wish you luck with all your future endeavors.


Thank you, Anthony, for this opportunity to speak to you and your audience. Best regards,
Frank Freudberg

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Never Smile At Strangers (Grand Trespass #1) by Jennifer Jaynes Review:

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!

There is nothing more I as both an author and a reader enjoy more than a compelling first entrance into a riveting thriller series. That’s
exactly what I got when I read the first book in the Grand Trespass series by author Jennifer Jaynes, titled “Never Smile At Strangers”, and the
title says it all as this over 300-page novel takes readers on a heart-pounding journey to discover a chilling truth that runs deep into the
town of Grand Trespass.

This novel takes readers into the lives of several citizens of the town of Grand Trespass, Louisiana, as a young girl suddenly goes missing. Soon
a desperate search is underway, but when more of the townspeople begin to go missing, the citizens begin to question one another, realizing that
they may not know those closest to them as well as they previously thought. Meanwhile an unhinged, demented serial killer is living among them,
and his deep-seated fear and obsession of women is more complicated four years after his mother’s death, in which he has had to take care of
his disturbed sister.

The twists and turns in this novel made it such an intriguing read. The characters were compelling and fully developed while the plot took so
many fascinating paths that it made the final reveal all the more captivating. What was really fascinating was the heavy emphasis on both the
cultural aspects of a small Southern town mixed with the deep psychological issues most people face, from the anxiety and depression that comes
from loss to the more violent and scary tendencies of a killer’s mind. Broaching the subject of mental health is also a great way to get a
conversation started, and made the book that much more enticing. It’s no wonder this book made the USA Today bestseller list, and has made
this a must read series for me. Make sure to check out Never Smile At Strangers (Grand Trespass #1) by Jennifer Jaynes today!

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Saint Odd by Dean Koontz Review

The final adventure of everyone’s favorite fry cook who can see the dead has arrived in Dean Koontz final Odd Thomas entry, Saint Odd. The story
finds our hero, Odd Thomas, returning to his home of Pico Mundo. Yet this isn’t a happy reunion, but a mission to save his home and the people
he loves in the town, as a powerful cult has set it’s sights on the city, and the destruction they plan to unleash can only be stopped with the
help of Odd. Having faced and overcome the cultists before, he knows the power they wield and the chaos they are capable of sowing, and so he
must gather his strength and will to save the town one final time, even if it means sacrificing himself as well.

The book is a beautiful story artfully captured to detail the final Odd Thomas adventure. What stands out is the fact that Mr. Koontz has included
throwbacks to the series with characters established throughout the entire book collection, and yet gives the story fresh life by exploring the
mental state of our hero after years battling uncounted evil in all its forms. The fast-pace of the story makes the story fly by, and yet you
can’t help but reminisce during certain moments in the story about the deep emotional bonds between Odd and the friends he’s made. This is a book
made for character development, and fans of the series will love the direction Odd’s character takes throughout the novel.

What will Odd Thomas do in this final adventure? You can find out by picking up your copy of Saint Odd today! This is one of my top books of 2015,
and I feel satisfied that this final entry gave the Odd Thomas series a satisfying conclusion.

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Lexington And Fifth – Chapter 1: The Text (on Wattpad) http://w.tt/1UBBz6x

Vengeance is a dish best served cold! This is a lesson that Ella Garner and her friends will learn the hard way in Lexington and Fifth. Years after a college accident left Ella broken, she has picked herself up and is about the marry the man of her dreams. She has a great writing career, a blossoming video channel on the internet, and is happier than she ever thought she could be again. Yet as the holidays
quickly approach, she soon learns those responsible for the accident years ago, (and the people she called friends), are being targeted by a ruthless killer, and Ella will have to revisit the tragedy that has haunted her for years if she has any hopes of surviving the holidays.

Lexington and Fifth is an emotional roller coaster ride, which will have you squirming in your seat and changing your view on the characters and their story so many times that by the end of the tale, you won’t know who the true evil really is. Come along for this bone-chilling tale as week by week the story will slowly unfold over the course of this year, until by the end of 2016, you will find yourself hanging on to the edge of your seat as you read the final words of author Anthony Avina’s next great project. Come along for the journey, and take a ride to Lexington and Fifth today!

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Baby Please Don’t Go by Frank Freudberg Review

They say love is blind, but in this incredible thriller from acclaimed author Frank Freudberg, love is not the only thing that is blind in
“Baby Please Don’t Go”. No, so too is the desire for family, and for Child Protective Services investigator Lock, that desire will send him
down a dark path with no way of turning back.

When an anonymous report comes in reporting child neglect, Locke goes in to investigate, only to find the children in good health. Determining
the report to be false and suspecting a scheme to undermine the image of Natalie Mannheim, the children’s mother, in the midst of a divorce
case, Lock soon finds himself in the midst of a power struggle he cannot escape. Accustomed to the power addiction can have, Lock knows that
Natalie has a strong hold over him, one he cannot fight or deny. With an internal struggle between his desire to do what’s right and his
need for a family, Lock will fall down a hole so deep that he may not be able to find his way back from it.

The novel is one of the best suspense/thrillers I’ve read in a long time. The detail and character development that Mr. Freudberg integrates
throughout the story is ironically very addicting, and there are twists and turns throughout that will keep the reader on edge. The author
does a wonderful job of bringing to life a story that is not that unfamiliar in this world, and while sad to see that children often become
fodder in custody battles, it is a high-octane tale of lust, deceit and straight up murder that is so thrilling that one will find themselves
unable to put the story down until it’s finished. With a satisfying end that will both make you glad to see the story end and have you
clamoring for more, “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a must read novel and a fantastic candidate for suspense thriller of the year for 2015! Be sure
to pick up your copy of Frank Freudberg’s novel in either eBook or paperback now!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!

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Interview with Author Brendan Le Grange

A marine archaeologist
standing up for herself. A psychopath with mother issues.  A hitman who hates failure. A soldier with a
point to prove. And a treasure that tests every allegiance.

Brett Rivera has spent three years searching for the

Drachen

. The day she finds it is the day her life changes: there is
no sign of its legendary treasure and now a cold-blooded killer is hunting her.
What does he know that she doesn’t?

Brett is chased in Finland,
double-crossed in Tallinn, abducted in Lübeck, and shot at in Bremen as this
action-packed thriller dashes across northern Europe, barely pausing for breath.

A shipwreck.  A lost
treasure. A hell of a
race from one to the other.

***

First off, I want to thank Branden for speaking with us today.

1)  
Tell
us a little bit about yourself and your motivation to become an author.

For
the last six or seven years I’ve been travelling a lot, for work and pleasure,
first primarily in Europe and more recently primarily in Asia. This got me into
writing in two ways: the pull of wanting to read a good book while stuck in
airports and the push of stories I though could come out of some of those
places.

That’s
really where it started, or at least where it moved from writing work-related
articles to trying to write fiction.

2) Where did you get the inspiration for your debut novel, Drachen?

I
often joke that it was inspired by the carving of three dragons and the stained-glass
window that book-end most of Drachen’s
action.

While
living in Denmark I used to love visiting the Hanseatic towns of Northern
Europe. I knew I wanted to pull some of that charm and history into my first
book, but it was when I linked those two unusual dragon motifs that I got a
tighter theme and geography. And I knew it had to be fun and fast-paced because
I’d just finished my MBA and had had my fill of serious non-fiction. I decided
I needed to write the sort of book you could read in an airport or on a flight,
while not necessarily operation at your highest intellectual capacity!

With
those boundaries established, I started writing and largely followed where the
story took me, finally zooming in on the parts of longer story I really wanted
to cover.

My
earliest drafts included Brett’s discovery of Drachen, her ill-fated dive on the wreck, and her escape from the
armed gang that hijacked her boat – all scenes now on ‘the cutting room floor’
so that the reader hits the ground running.

3) How did your experiences in traveling through 40 different countries help
you with writing the book?

I
would have done it anyway, but it certainly plays a big role for my writing.
Personally it is a great way to capture some memories and to keep random walks
through new towns interesting. And for the story it adds a degree of realism
that you can’t get from Google. I actually don’t write all that much about the
towns in Drachen but still many
people comment on how nicely the locations play out – I think this is because
if you’ve visited a place and enjoyed it yourself, you’re better able to write
its essence not just its exterior.

I
have visited every location in Drachen,
the follow-up is set in the mountains above my new home, and the longer term
plans for the series include visits to the Philippines where I spend about 30%
of my time at the moment and India where I honeymooned so I hope the trend
continues.

4) Drachen fits in the historical-fiction/thriller genre. Is this a genre you
are interested in exploring further with future books, or are
there other genres that interest you as well?

In
the longer term I would like to write something more artistic, and if I let
myself dream up some talents I don’t yet have it’d be a whimsical fable inspired
by The Little Prince, but…

For
the moment I’ll be writing in the genre I think of as ‘adventure thriller’:
part action and adventure/ part thriller. The history side of things is
important for this as it allows me to lean more towards the ‘fun’ adventure side
of the thriller genre.

As
I hinted above, I have a few more books in the series planned but I also have a
new character I’m waiting to let loose in a slightly more quirky world.

5) Was there a character in the book that you could identify with or that you
particularly enjoyed writing in this book?

I
let myself have the most fun with Patrick I think, but all of them were fun to
write as I modeled them all on good friends: I worked with Brett for many
years, Matthys and I moved to Denmark at the same time, Roman is a mix of two
of my good friends, and Sam and his family arrived in Hong Kong the exact same
day we did.

The
same was true of Patrick but he had a head-start, being a real-life spy and
all… Okay, maybe he isn’t. He claims to be a mild mannered architect but after
a few drinks you’ll soon be undecided as stories from his travels to some of
the world’s wildest places emerge!  

6) Drachen focuses a lot on a revised history around the Hanseatic League. Is
there another historical period, event or place that you would
be interested in rewriting or molding into a new story?

There
are so many options, really, but the Middle Ages are nicely placed not so far
removed that there is no trace of them today, not so recent that we have complete
histories: Drachen’s follow up will
be built around a local legend of the demise (or not) of the Song Dynasty which
happened at a similar time, and a number of great Philippine legends come from
then, too.

When
I get around to starting the next series, though, it’ll examine some more
modern mysteries: there are some great conspiracy theories and legendary beasts
I’d love to write about.

7) For any aspiring authors out there, what would you say is the best piece of
advice you can give them?

Two
things stand out in my mind: start writing and join a critique group.

It
is really important to just start writing. I know I started by trying to read
books on writing but honestly, if you haven’t made the mistakes or run into the
hurdles it is hard to conceptualize them. So start. It doesn’t have to be any
good, but it gives you examples to work from. I scrapped many more versions of Drachen than I kept but ultimately it evolved
from the original unrecognizable attempt.

And
then share that writing with a critique group. I got lucky here, and have been privileged
to work with some great and experienced authors but even as a newbie I was able
to add value to their work too, so don’t be shy. I read a lot of self-published
books (the second half of last year I read them exclusively, and this year I’ve
been reading only my Twitter followers) and I can see the ones who haven’t had
enough eyes pass over them. Obviously a good editor can help, but if you’ve had
a few opinions throughout the process you’ll be better off, and that same
editor will be able to really make the finished product great.

8) When writing this book, which did you enjoy more: writing the plot out or
creating the characters and their backstories?

Because
I based my characters on a number of my friends, I had great fun dropping them
into unexpected situations – often having a chuckle to myself about what they’d
gone and done.

But
it’s no secret that at its core, Drachen
is a plot driven thriller. I think one of my strengths is the way I manage the
flow of ideas, smoothly leading readers from one point to the next, sometimes to
make the actions race, sometimes to lead them astray; and I really enjoy
playing around with that aspect of plotting.

What
I also enjoy about plotting is how it can grow organically. You can set-up a
scene, but once you start writing the characters can create unexpected dead
ends and unique solutions to them.

9) What authors or works of fiction helped inspire you and your writing career?

I
write in the genre dominated by Clive Cussler, and his books revived my
interest in action/ adventure as an adult, though I try to bring a snappier
style to bear so if I can channel some Lee Child then I’d be delighted.

But
writing starts with reading. I read a lot when I was younger but then stopped
for several years. I got back into it when I moved to Johannesburg for my first
job: in the days before Netflix and social media, books helped pass the time in
those early ‘settling in’ days. I remember getting caught up in a few South
African legends, JM Coetzee and Bryce Courtenay, mixed with whatever was lying
around or lent – in fact I was laughing about this with my friend the other
day, he gave me Matthew Reilly’s The
Contest on my very first day there.

10) Any upcoming plans or novels in the works right now?

Yes!
I am a working on the follow-up to Drachen – set in the green hills above rural
Hong Kong, yes those exist, it follows Matthys Rossouw as he gets an unexpected
chance to pick-up Hiko’s trail.

I
don’t want to give too much away, but the underlying legend is inspired by the
legend of how my local village once hosted the de facto heirs to the Song
Dynasty throne. I wondered what might happen if those princes hadn’t exactly
left, and what the Chinese government might do if they found out.

Thank you to Brendan for taking the time to speak with us today, and I hope you all will pick up your copies of his book, Drachen, out now!

You can find Brendan Le Grange at his sites listed below:

website: brendanlegrange.com

twitter: @brendanlegfacebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/Action.Adventure.Thrills/

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B0133U3HGC

Book Review of Drachen by Brendan Le Grange

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Book Review of Drachen by Brendan Le Grange

If Dean Koontz were to write a historical fiction thriller with an Indiana Jones theme and both strong male and female characters, it would

be something like Brendan Le Grange’s “Drachen”. This story is a fast paced, action and historically driven thriller that tweaks a real life
history of the medieval Hanseatic League and creates a legend and treasure so powerful and illustrious that the lines between friend and
foe becomes blurred easily.

Taking a fun approach of looking through the eyes of various characters in this novel, the story follows a young marine archaeologist who’s
looking to find a treasure and must face the likes of a crazed killer with some serious issues, a hitman who doesn’t know what it means to
fail, and a soldier looking for a sort of redemption. Brett is hot on the trail of the Drachen, a ship said to hold untold treasure. Yet
not only does she not find the treasure, but she finds herself in the fight of her life as she delves deeper into the mystery of the Drachen
and must evade armed killers and soldiers who want the secrets of the treasure for themselves.

The writing in this book is very well told. The pace is constant and fast, keeping the plot moving forward at a reasonable rate and doing
a wonderful job of implementing a great sense of history into the modern age. The formatting of the book was perfect, and the characters
did a wonderful job of telling their stories and kept an air of mystery throughout the story, doling out bits and pieces of their past and
motivations to keep us wanting more until the very end.

Without spoiling the ending, Le Grange does a masterful job of using his life experiences and travels from around the world to tell a tale
that one rarely finds anymore. I personally loved the history that dripped from every page of this book, and it left me wanting to read more
of his writing. There are equal parts action, history, adventure and thriller mixed into this book, making this a story people will thoroughly
enjoy reading. Make sure to pick up your copy of Drachen by Brendan Le Grange today!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!