Alex Ander's Blog - Posts Tagged "alex-ander"

Use of Force by Brad Thor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Brad Thor is a great thriller writer. Use of Force is his latest and it does not disappoint. The action begins right away in the United States before bouncing back and forth from the U.S. to other parts of the world.

Language is on par with the other books in the series--foul words sprinkled in, but you don't feel you need to shower after every chapter.

Two points...

1. The story begins by introducing the reader to the protagonist, Harvath, in addition to five or six other men (I can't recall the exact number). Because they were all dumped at the same time, it was difficult to keep them straight. I never did get a mental image of any of them. That being said, I don't subtract a star for the character overload. I read the Thor books for the main character, which leads me to point number 2.

2. I found myself skimming the chapters that focused on the bad guy. There was a lot of information about his background, where he was in the scene, why Americans are evil, etc. Again, I believe this is a personal preference. Since I've begun writing books, I think I now read the way I write. That is to say, I want to read about the main character and his or her companions--their journey. The only thing I want to know about the bad guy is that he is bad. A few short scenes showing JUST HOW BAD he is reinforces the story. No stars off...just a personal note. I'm sure there are plenty of folks who love to know why the bad guy is bad, what happened in his childhood that made him the way he is today. Not me.

I've read all of Thor's books and they're all great. Use of Force gets 5 stars. Will I read the next one? Definitely. Five thousand people could rate it poorly and I'd still read it.



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Betrayal by Tim Tigner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Tim Tigner's Betrayal was a surprisingly good read. I had never read anything from him, so his style was new to me. The action started right away with dialogue of conflict. The action soon followed.

I read the entire book--no skipping past the parts where the terrorists are blabbing about the excesses of the West and 'death to America.' Every character in the book was interesting. There were twists and turns, including one I didn't seen coming, but should have based on little details throughout the book. That part was masterfully done by the author. I'd tell you, but that would ruin the twist.

On a big plus side, the foul language was very low. I honestly can't remember if I was F-bombed. Hmmm.

Betrayal definitely deserves 5 stars. I wish there was a second book with the same characters, but I think the other books have new people in them. Oh well, this was a great read. Highly recommended.



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Snowstorm by Jennette Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The cover for Snowstorm drew my attention. The book's blurb sold me on taking a chance on a Christmas inspirational romance (I've never read one). Add in a new author and I didn't know what to expect. As a person who reads strictly thrillers and action & adventure novels, I really, really enjoyed this touching, heartwarming and refreshing story.

The author did a great job with pacing, moving quickly past the more mundane elements and getting back to the main characters. As one who skips past the parts of thrillers that focus on the bad guys (and how the bad guy got to be so bad), I appreciated the continual spotlight on Tabitha and Arnie - Snowstorm's co-protagonists. There was no skipping ahead for me.

Character development/backstory was excellent, quickly helping me make the transition into caring about what happens to Tabby and Arnie. So much so that I would look forward to a second novel with them. I was sad when the words 'The End' appeared. I can recall one other book where that happened.

I write action & adventure/thrillers that I label as 'clean reads.' That being said, Snowstorm was a 'scrub-up-to-the-elbow-doctor-prepping-for-surgery' clean read. I don't believe there was a single foul word (mild or obscenely vulgar) in the whole book. It probably goes without saying, but there are no sex scenes, either.

Snowstorm is highly recommended by this author for those who enjoy a Hallmark Hall of Fame type love story. And, if you're a manly man looking to dip your toe into a new genre, you might want to give this one a second look.



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The Hit by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Hit by David Baldacci was a "big hit" with this author. 5 stars for sure. Since I started the series at book #2, I'll have to backtrack and read the first one next.

Very little foul language and no F-bombs, I believe.

The book focuses on two assassins, who work for their country. They're pitted against each other, and right from the beginning, I found myself rooting for both of them, unsure of the outcome (which I was pleased with, by the way).

The author did a masterful job of going back and forth from one assassin to the other.

As I recall the story, I'm not coming up with any criticisms. Overall, a very good book. I usually shy away from assassin-type books, because I don't want to read about blatant killing. The Hit centered more on the mission, the plot, the character development. Top notch, two thumbs up, 5 stars, a must-read and whatever other terms are used to recommend a book.



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The Innocent by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


SUPERB! Superb, superb, superb. My only regret is that I read book #2 before book #1. As a result, I could see the ending coming. That fact didn't ruin The Innocent for me, but I know I would have been blindsided at the end had I started with book #1.

This story had running and gunning, plot twists, excellent character development and down time to get to know the characters. I even enjoyed Julie and her typical 14-year-old attitude. I believe the word used to describe her in the book was 'precocious.'

Mild foul language, but no F-bombs and chapter after chapter, the focus remained on the protagonist and his companions. I love that! No diversions to find out what happened in the bad guy's childhood that made him the way he is today.

If you enjoy thrillers, government agents, running & gunning, then you MUST READ The Innocent. Baldacci is in the same league as Brad Thor and John Gilstrap with their Scot Harvath and Jonathan Grave series.

My rating: 6 stars (if I could)



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The Target by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Typical great Baldacci/Will Robie reading. Minimal foul language and the chemistry between Robie and Reel is what makes this book, and so far the series, so exciting. Maybe it's just me, but I love books that have male and female lead characters. The back and forth verbal and nonverbal exchanges between the sexes are fun.

There was one point in the story where Robie and Reel went off on a side mission that seemed to have no bearing on the plot. I scratched my head about this, but in the end, I decided I didn't care. The action scenes were still great and that's what most important.

Once again I found myself skipping over the chapters that didn't focus on the main characters. Not that they weren't done well. It's just my reading preference. I don't really care about the nitty gritty details of anyone outside of the protagonist and his or her allies.

If you've read the first two books in the series, then #3 is a must for you. If you haven't read any, go back and start with book #1. As for me, I'll be grabbing book #4 in the near future.



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Bullseye by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Although I'm not entirely sure why, I have to give Bullseye 4.5 stars. I believe it has to do with the fact that this book combines main characters from two different series. I have not read any of the Camel Club books, so Oliver Stone means nothing to me. Had I been familiar with him, I probably would have tacked on the half star.

Overall, a good book. I like the shorter reads. And since I finished this one in a single day, Bullseye certainly qualifies as a short read. There wasn't as much of the traditional action I'm accustomed to reading. There was more talking and planning and scheming. Robie and Stone had to share the pages, so that left those of us in the Robie camp with fewer pages with "our" protagonist.

All in all, I would recommend Bullseye to anyone who has read all or some of the Will Robie books.



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End Game by David Baldacci

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The action & adventure was great, and there was a lot of it. Although a little more elevated than usual, the foul language wasn't too bad. There were a few big bombs with more frequent...crass and crude words...for lack of a better way to describe it.

The ending was a little different, and unexpected, but it was cool. And, there was a little more attention paid to the personal side of the characters. Many thrillers simply end a few pages after the final big battle. This novel gives readers a little more.

Having read this entire series, I can honestly say that End Game was similar to the first three books, which I enjoyed immensely. If you're a Baldacci fan, or have read others in this series, you won't want to miss Book #5. Recommended.



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Against All Enemies by John Gilstrap

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This one starts out a little slow; however, a quarter of the way through, the story picked up steam. From there, it was a usual Jonathan Grave action thriller with Jolaine Cage (from an earlier book in the series) making an appearance. I liked that part. A must read for fans of Gilstrap's Grave character. Highly recommended.

The sneak peek at the end of the book (of the next one in the series) piqued my interest enough that I think that'll be my next read.



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Friendly Fire by John Gilstrap

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was one of the better books in the Jonathan Grave series. I was hooked from the first chapter. The action was great. And, the blending of Ethan Falk's backstory kept me wondering how the different story strands were going to come together.

I would have liked to have seen a little bit of a wrap-up between Jonathan and Detective Hastings, but I won't quibble. I realize most action & adventure/thrillers end shortly after the final round of action is finished.

This story still gets a resounding 5 stars. Friendly Fire is a must read for fans of Gilstrap's Jonathan Grave character.



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