The Gray Man by Mark Greaney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I had been on a teenage secret agent book bender for a few weeks. Prior to that I was on an urban fantasy kick for possibly a year or more straight with breaks in between for mystery/thriller releases in series that I like. I was looking for something different and exciting to read. I read a 2nd in a series with a female assassin and really liked it and decided to see what else was out there. I did a search and found the Mark Greaney series, The Gray Man. I started reading it about 15 minutes before I had to start work and then wished I could take the day off.

This book was so full of action and intrigue. There was a great plot, but, the thing that draws me to this story is Jim. He is this larger than life character, part of which comes from the reputation and rumors that those in his part of the world have talked about for years, and the other part is just him. Mark Greaney writes these characters that jump off the page. The bad guys are extremely bad or, are they? The good guys might be good, but, given what is at risk in this book, maybe the good guys are the bad guys. It all gets thrown in the air and blown around like a huge tornado while the story is moving at a breakneck speed across multiple parts of the world.

If there any problems with spelling or editing I sure did not notice them and I am a stickler for those things. I was working on my dissertation yesterday and kept glancing at my Kindle wanting to pick my book up and read it. I had to make it a reward to read my book so I could make some progress and I have a huge deadline facing me on 9/15 for the first 3 chapters. This is how much I loved this book. I have already purchased On Target, the next installment in The Gray Man series and cannot wait.
Okay, now to see if the author has a Twitter account or Facebook page so I can follow him adoringly.

Review can also be seen at : http://Ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.c...



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The Set-up by Sophie McKenzie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not sure how I feel about this book. I was enjoying it and either its my mood or I rushed to judgment when I ordered the next 2 books. I enjoyed parts of it, but, I am NOT a big fan of love triangles and that is what this is shaping up to be for at least a book or two. I do have to remember that it is a teen book. But, all I kept asking myself is do teenagers really act like this. All of them drove me nuts. If they all were not so annoying I could have loved the book and been a definite five stars. But, these teens are the teens that made me not want to teach anyone who was not an adult. Too much hardheadedness and jumping to action without any real thought. They just literally made me want to scream. My trainer did remind me, when I was lifting weights and screaming about it, that when a book elicits strong emotions then the writer might be doing something right. She definitely did that! I will read the others and probably scream at these kids all the way.



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Agent 21 by Chris Ryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a good read. I found it by searching for other books like the Alex Rider series. A search on UK book seller sites led me to Agent 21. It was not an easy book to find here in the U.S. so I had to order it through a bookseller that sold in both the U.S. and the U.K. online. Zak's story is similar to other young adult secret agents' stories in that he has a huge loss and is noticed by a covert government agency that see something in him and offers him a chance to train to work for them.

Zak trains for many months and is sent on his first case which is by all accounts extremely dangerous. Not only is the man he is investigating ruthless and dangerous, but, he employs a man that leaves bodies with every step he takes. Zak's first case out of the gate puts him not only in touch with his past, but also on a collision course with both of these terrible men.

The people that are fast becoming very close to Zak, especially Raf and Gabby are working to gain his trust and the jury is still out on Michael, his new boss. This is already shaping up to be a very interesting, action-filled series. I look forward to hearing more about Zak and his new colleagues. I hope it continues to be original, fun, and look forward to seeing some interesting investigations.



Review can also be seen at: http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.com/

Made to Be Broken by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a great edition to Kelley Armstrong's Nadia Stafford series. In this installment one of her employees, a teenage mother. The very bad part is that the baby is also missing. Despite how hard the employee's life has been she has studied and done everything within her power to be a good mother and ensure she does not end up on government assistance. Unfortunately, everyone in town expects nothing less of Sammi given her and her mother's background. Nadia is suspicious. Jack, Quinn and Evelyn all become involved in the search for baby and mother which turns out to be something well outside the realm of small town Canada problems.

I love both Jack and Quinn. I even love Nadia. The jury is out on Evelyn. How can someone love assassins? Well, look beyond what they do for a living maybe! The investigation was quite interesting and the scenarios in which Nadia and Jack run into the bad guys turn out to be great action. Of course I wanted to now if the next one was already out since I read this so long after it was released. I checked on the author's website and as of 2010 she had begun writing the third book but so far had not posted any plans for it being published. This book left things unsettled in several places. I'm hoping the publisher is interested because I know that I want the next book.


Review can also be seen at: http://LadyTechiesbookmusings.blogspot.c...

Sleeper Agenda by Thomas E. Sniegoski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What an awesome kick butt ending to this 2 part story. I wish there were more coming. I think there is room for more espionage, especially with that ending. It was full of loss, sadness, love, friendship, and growth. It also showed how you can find family in the strangest places.

Tom's story in part 2 is full of the agony of getting to know himself in the most extreme way. He also had to come to terms with what his family really had been. Sometimes when you only have part of a story you do not see the truth of things. This was true for both Tom and Madison. They were surrounded by adults that kept secrets, sometimes deadly secrets. Part of the difficulty of being a child or teenager is when you are too powerless or young to take control of your own life even when you have all the facts. Sometimes, if all goes well, there is someone out there that can and will help you move forward. Another great thing Sleeper Agenda shows is how great it is when someone labels you as something negative and you get the chance to prove them wrong and sometimes rub it in a bit.

I sure hope this is not the end!

Review can also be seen at: http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.c...



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Sleeper Code by Thomas E. Sniegoski

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a sensational book! It embodies all that is great in an action book. Tom has a huge secret, one that even he is not aware of for many, many years. The people in his life are not who he thinks they are and his illness, a severe form of narcolepsy, is a bigger problem than he ever dreamed. Tom's narcolepsy has been exploited by some really bad people who are supposed to be the good guys. Just when he finds out the truth the lid is blown off the secret in so many ways.

Madison is the girl next door, literally. She is staying with her aunt and uncle because of some issues with her parents back in Chicago. She reaches out to him when he most needs it and has not had any friends his age in over 3 years. Tom and Madison are great young adults who have found each other right when they both needed a friend. Both of these characters are being bombarded with really adult issues and finding the people they have come to rely on are not quite stepping up to the plate.

My favorite part of this book, the fights scenes. The fight scenes explode off the page and yes, as a Jason Bourne fan, I was picturing just that level of action. The author did not disappoint. I have the first book in the other Sniegoski series but have been on a teenage secret agent kick for a few weeks and this one just adds to my love of this niche in the YA world. I have already bought Sleeper Agenda and will be tearing into it quickly.


Review can also be read at: http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspot.c...



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