The Apostle (Scot Harvath #8)

The Apostle is the latest Brad Thor book featuring Scot Harvath.

Harvath has been an Olympic skier, a Navy SEAL, a Secret Service Agent, and an agent of the Office International Investigative Assistance in the Department of Homeland Security. But now, with the election of a new president, he finds himself out of work.

Before he can entertain the idea of finding a new job, the new president - the very man who closed the OIIA office - calls him for a meeting.

A doctor working in Afghanistan has been kidnapped. She is the daughter of the woman who basically got the president elected, the owner of a large media network.

Now Scot is going to Afghanistan - without back up. He is not working for the government or the president but a private citizen. He has all of the money he could need but will have to rely on old friends to be his support as he goes up against one of the highest ranking men in the Taliban.

Thor's Scot Harvath, though not actually bulletproof, is practically unstoppable. He is the type of hero we all hope is out there protecting the good guys. Thor's books are impossible to put down once you start reading - so clear your calendar before you begin reading!

Thor, Brad. (2009). The Apostle. New York: Atria Books.

Traitor (Boy Soldier #1)

Traitor (called Boy Soldier in the UK) by Andy McNab is the first book in the Boy Soldier series.

Danny Watts has his future planned. He will be accepted to the British Army officer training program. They will pay for him to go to University and then Military Academy. He knows he did well on the tests.

However, there is one problem with his background check. His grandfather, a man he has never met, was a SAS traitor. He was captured in Colombia, sent to prison, and pulled off a major escape. Now he is on the run.

Danny is so mad that he decides to track down his grandfather and turn him in... but is he playing right into the hands of the real traitor?

This first book is in the style of other YA espionage novels - CHERUB and the Alex Rider series. It is a fun way to spend an afternoon though not as intense as the adult versions. McNab is actually an SAS member, so he knows all of the details to include.

McNab, Andy and Robert Rigby. (2005). Traitor. New York: Speak.

The Doomsday Key (Sigma Force #6)

The Doomsday Key is the sixth Sigma Force novel by James Rollins.

Sigma Force is a group of special forces military people who have been sent back to school and trained in some field of science, technology, medicine, or engineering. Together they can solve any problem.

The latest problem begins with a bioengineering strain of corn being tested in Africa. Someone has attacked the village and the researchers and burned it to the ground with the crop.

A symbol found at the scene ties the attack to a murder in Italy. Could it be an eco-terrorist group?

Sigma is assigned to investigate.

All of Rollins' books are non-stop action mixed with the latest science headlines. He is one of my favorite authors and this latest Sigma Force novel lives up to his usual level of intensity.

Rollins, James. (2009). The Doomsday Key. New York: William Morrow.

In the Belly of the Bloodhound (Bloody Jack #4)

In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being the Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber is the fourth Bloody Jack book by L.A. Meyer.



Jacky is back in the States. There is a bounty out on her head in England. Jacky thinks she can hide out at the Lawson Peabody School for Girls in Boston while things cool off.

But, of course, nothing goes according to plan. The girls of the school are kidnapped by a slave trader during a field trip. They are forced onto a ship and headed for Africa.

I love this series about a young woman who is determined and will allow nothing to get in her way. Meyer's books are historically accurate - except where Jacky causes some of the events we remember beginning differently - but he does it in plausible, entertaining ways.

Meyer, L.A. (2008). In the Belly of the Bloodhound. New York: Harcourt.

Flight #116 is Down!

Flight #116 is Down! by Caroline B. Cooney is the story of a plane crash is rural Connecticut.

Told from the points of view of many characters, Flight #116 chronicles the life altering experience of a plane crash.

Carly is on the plane - going home for the first time in over a year. Her twin sister is planning on meeting her at the airport. Daniel and Tuck are flying to their father's wedding. Teddie is flying alone for the first time from her grandparent's house home.

Heidi has just moved home and is lonely. Her parents travel for work and she is at home with only the housekeeper. They live way out of town in an old mansion. She never thought that having company over would happen in such a way.

Cooney, Caroline B. (1992). Flight #116 is Down! New York: Scholastic.

Under the Jolly Roger (Bloody Jack #3)

Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber is the third book in the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer.

After Jacky left the school for girls in Boston she landed a job on a whaler ship that was eventually bound for London. Her main focus was getting back to Jaimy.

But once in London, mistaken for a man due to her clothing, she is captured by a press gang and taken to one of the ships of the royal Navy. Back in the service again, the captain of this ship does not care that she is female.

The captain has taken on more than he can handle when he forced Jacky to stay. By the end of the book, M.J. Faber Shipping may have a whole fleet!

Meyer, L.A. (2005). Under the Jolly Roger. New York: Harcourt.

The Silent Man (John Wells #3)

The Silent Man by Alex Berenson is the third book featuring John Wells.

US intelligence agencies are in a race against time - and most of them don't even know what they are looking for.

A small group of jihadis has a plan to steal a couple of nuclear weapons from Russia. Authorities believe that without the launch codes the weapons are safe. Authorities outside of Russia don't even know what is missing.

Meanwhile, a man who John Wells kidnapped to find answers in an earlier book is after revenge. John, who would like to retire from the spy business, is pulled back in when the woman he loves is injured in an attempt on his life.

Now John will stop at nothing to get his revenge - or will he? Would John set aside his anger at what happened to Exley to save the US from a possible nuclear attack?

Berenson, Alex. (2009). The Silent Man. New York: Putnam.

Blind Fall

Blind Fall by Christopher Rice is the story two Marines.

John Houck is a Marine. He served in Iraq where his captain, Mike Bowers saved his life - and lost an eye. John fells guilty that he caused the injury because he did not let Mike know his state of mind going into the situation. He had just received an email informing him that his younger brother was dead.

Now John and Mike have been discharged and both live in California. John still feels guilty. When he finally gets up the courage to go to Mike's house, he is confronted with his murder and a man running from the house.

Rice sets up this murder mystery (although early in the book you know who done it) but then spends most of the book seemingly trying to explain why gays are okay. Mike was gay and living with his partner Alex. John's brother was gay but John couldn't face it.

The thing is, anyone who wasn't already okay with gays would put the book down after a couple of chapters. Readers who keep reading, and are likely okay with gays, get bombarded with a story that is about one man overcoming his homophobia and facing reality - to the point that it detracts from the main plot of the story.

Rice, Christopher. (2008). Blind Fall. New York: Pocket Books.

Destiny (Rogue Angel #1)

Destiny is the first book in the Rogue Angel series by Alex Archer. Fans of the television show Witchblade (2001) will love this series.

Annja Creed is an archaeologist and explorer. But archeology doesn't pay all that well. So, on the side she works for the TV show Chasing History's Monsters - a show that is more sensation than fact. But unlike other hosts on the show, Annja tries to find facts to support legends of boogie monsters. And the show pays well enough that she can go on digs when she wants.

Annja is on her way to France to research the legend of the Beast of Gevaudan - a creature who is said to have killed almost 100 people in the Cevennes Mountains. What she doesn't know is that an artifact is waiting for her to discover it - an artifact that will tie her to Joan of Arc or that there is a religious order still living in the mountains that wants the truth about the Beast to remain unsolved.

Archer, Alex. (2006). Destiny. New York: Worldwide.

The Ghost War (John Wells #2)

The Ghost War is the second book by Alex Berenson in the John Wells series.

John Wells is a spy. He was undercover with Al Queda for so long that his handlers thought he had switched sides. But now that he is back in the US, he is restless. He takes risks for no reason and may be blowing his chance with the woman he loves. What he needs is a new assignment.

In his new assignment he will travel to Iraq, Long Island and China in a quest to find out who is trying to start a war between China and the US.

Berenson is a captivating writer who has created they type of character I hope is really working in espionage - on our side.

Berenson, Alex. (2008). The Ghost War. New York: Jove Books.

Bloodhound (Beka Cooper #2)

Bloodhound is the second Beka Cooper book by Tamora Pierce. This series is part of the Tortall collection, which now includes 16 titles.

Beka has completed her police training and is now a full-fledged Dog. She has been having trouble keeping a partner - they are either crooked or lazy.

Corus, the capital or Tortall, seems to have a counterfeiter problem. Someone is passing fake coins in the gambling houses. The hunt will take Beka and her mentor, Goodwin, to the neighboring city of Port Caynn to track down the forger.

Once again, Pierce has created a story that fans will devour. Beka is a strong young woman who readers will follow far into the future (hint, hint - we want more books!)

Pierce, Tamora. (2009). Bloodhound. New York: Random House.

Curse of the Blue Tattoo (Bloody Jack #2)

Curse of the Blue Tattoo is the second book in the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer.

Jacky is taken to Boston and enrolled in a school to become a fine lady. Anyone who read the first book knows that it is going to be a difficult adjustment. Anyone going from life on a navy ship to that of a boarding school would have a hard time of it, but Jacky finds trouble even when she is not looking.

In between sneaking out to sing and dance at a local pub, Jacky is making an effort to follow the rules. But when she is arrested for lewd behavior, the head mistress will have all the ammunition she needs to bump Jacky down to a serving girl.

But don't count on Jacky Faber staying where anyone puts her. Before the tale is through she will please and annoy all levels of society in Boston.

Meyer, L.A. (2004). Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady. New York: Harcourt, Inc.

Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs #4)

Messenger of Truth is the fourth Maisie Dobbs book by Jacqueline Winspear.

Maisie Dobbs has been hired to look into the death of the artist Nicholas Bassington-Hope, a well known artist who fell to his death off of scaffolding he was using to set up his latest exhibition.

His sister, Georgina, has hired Maisie to find out if he was murdered. Through her usual careful investigating, Maisie pieces together the last few weeks of Nick's life.

What she finds is a talented and troubled painter who final piece (that is currently missing) may have been his masterpiece and his view of the Great War - a piece that many would not want to be seen.

Maisie Dobbs' books will appeal to any mystery lovers or those who like Agatha Christie or Mrs. Pollifax. Winspear captures early 1900s England and create engaging stories that twist and turn to a satisfying ending.

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2006). Messenger of Truth. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

The Faithful Spy (John Wells #1)

The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson is the first book in the John Wells series.

John Wells is the only CIA agent undercover in the ranks of al Qaeda. He rarely contacts his handler, Jennifer Exley.

After ten years of trying to prove his loyalty to Qaeda, he is headed back to the United States. He has been sent back to wait further instructions in the planning of an attack on US soil.

But the CIA heads are not convinced that John has not become a terrorist. He has converted to Islam and he did not contact them the second he reached the US.

Now he must fight two sides while stopping the biggest massacre of US civilians since 9/11.

Berenson, Alex. (2006). The Faithful Spy. New York: Jove Books.

The Second Horseman

The Second Horseman by Kyle Mills is a great heist book.

Brandon Vale is in prison for a jewel theft that he did not commit. He is not as upset as some wrongfully imprisoned people - after all, he did steal a lot of other stuff. But just about time he settles into a routine he is forced to escape.

He has no idea what is happening when a guard shoves him outside of the prison fence and puts a cell phone in his hand. He doesn't want to run but if he stands still too long he will be shot.

After following the directions from a voice on the cell phone, Brandon finds himself asked to help in a heist. The heist is great and includes everything a reader could want.

However, after the heist, the book continues on to a political plot that in its own right might be engaging but does not fit with the first half of the book. So if you want to read about a brilliant thief, read it but stop after they pull off the robbery.

Mills, Kyle. (2007). The Second Horseman. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Series #1)

Dead Until Dark is the first book in the Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. It is the series that the television show True Blood is based on.

Sookie Stackhouse has a fairly routine existence. She lives in Bon Temps, Louisiana with her grandmother. She is a waitress at a bar. She wishes that a vampire would come to Bon Temps. She would love to meet one.

Vampires have recently been given citizen status and have come out of the coffin. They can exist off of synthetic blood but there are also groupies - fangbangers - who volunteer their blood as well. But most of the vampires seems to hang out in bigger cities not the small town where Sookie lives.

When a vampire does come to the bar, life begins to change for Sookie.

Harris, Charlaine. (2001). Dead Until Dark. New York: Ace Books.

The Singing (Pellinor #4)

The Singing is the final book in the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon.

Maerad and Hem are looking for each other. They both know that they must find each other before the Black Army destroys Annar, but Annar is a huge place and neither knows exactly where to look.

Maerad is destined to be the One who stands against the evil Nameless One, but the prophesy did not foretell what happens to her when she does. Will she survive the final battle between the Light and the Dark?

I would love to say more about this amazing series, but I am trying my hardest not to include any spoilers. Just read the books! I usually agree that the library is the way to go, but they are so good that you might as well buy the series.

Croggon, Alison. (2008). The Singing. Summerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

The Crow (Pellinor #3)

The Crow is the third book of Pellinor by Alison Croggon.

The third book takes a break from following Maerad on her quest to catch up with Hem in Turbansk. When the siblings split up for safety, Hem and his protector Saliman went south to the School of Turbansk.

Hem is having difficulty adjusting from a life of travel with the Pilanel to sitting still in class all day. The only subject he pays attention to is swordcraft. It has been hard for him to make friends because he does not speak the language of the region.

But soon his classes will be the least of his worries. The Nameless One is amassing soldiers for a great attack on the city. All children are to be sent to safety, but Hem fights to stay with Saliman.

Hem, like Maerad, may have a part to play in the fulfilment of the prophesy against the darkness... if he can live through the siege of the city.

Croggon has created an addictive series in a class with Garth Nix's Abhorsen Trilogy and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Croggon, Alison. (2006). The Crow. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

The Riddle (Pellinor #2)

The Riddle is the second book in Alison Croggon's Pellinor series.

Maerad and Cadvan are on a quest to find the answers to the riddle - what is the Treesong? What little reference they can find tells them to go north to the icy land of the Winterking.

The battle between Light and Dark begins again and according to the foretelling, Maerad is the one who will help the Light triumph. But their journey will not be easy, nor do they have a clear vision of where to go. They must gather clues along the way.

Maerad is one of the strongest mages to live. She has the magic of the Bards and their Speech and she has the magic of the Elementals or Eldihu. In order to use her tremendous power justly she must first learn to control it. Her temper must never get the better of her or she is likely to destroy everyone around her.

Croggon obviously had a plan for the series before she began writing. The plot and depth of character development, along with whole new languages, puts this series in league with the Lord of the Rings. Anyone who like fantasy will devour this series.

Croggon, Alison. (2007). The Riddle. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.

Seeing Redd (Looking Glass Wars #2)

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor is the second book in the Looking Glass Wars series - the real story that Lewis Carroll trivialized in his books.

Now that Alyss is on the thrown Wonderlanders are trying to get their lives back in order. There is much work to be done to fix what her evil aunt Redd destroyed.

Homberg Molly is Alyss's personal guard and Dodge is the head of the palace guard. They are all getting ready to have a sort of grand opening of the newly rebuilt palace when it seems that forces of Redd's army thought to be destroyed attack Wondertropolis.

Alyss must use all of her great imagination, in combination with the skills of Molly, Dodge, General Doppleganger, and Hatter Mattigan to secure the queendom once again from an enemy. But can the enemy really be Redd after she was defeated in the last battle?

Beddor, Frank. (2007). Seeing Redd. New York: Speak.

The Privilege of the Sword (Swords of Riverside)

The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner is the second book that takes place in Riverside. This book is listed as fantasy but reads more like historical fiction - it is set in a made-up city similar to old London.

Katherine Talbert has heard stories of her uncle the Mad Duke Tremontaine but has never met him. Now, at fifteen, she is summoned to his home in the city. If she agrees to go, her family's debt will be forgiven and their wealth restored.

But the Duke is not bringing her to the city for her coming out season - he means to train her as a swordsman. She will be forced to wear pants and train daily until she has the skills to defend the Duke's honor.

As strange as it sounds to Katherine when she leaves home to join the Duke, nothing could prepare her for the strange and queer happenings at his many homes in the city. Every notion she has about society and morality will be put to the test by the Mad Duke.

This is a swashbuckling novel with a twist. I cannot wait for the next volume featuring the dashing and dangerous Katherine Talbert.

Kushner, Ellen. (2006). The Privilege of the Sword. New York: Bantam.

Terminal Freeze

Terminal Freeze is the latest thriller by Lincoln Child.

A team of scientists is above the Arctic circle studying a melting glacier. They are being funded by a media conglomerate that has final say if they discover anything interesting. But so far, the melting ice, though interesting to the scientists studying it, is not documentary film material.

That all changes as a large piece of ice calves off of the face of the glacier and a cave is revealed. While exploring the cave the scientists discover the body of an animal frozen under the ice. By the eyes and what little can be seen without excavation it appears to be a sabre tooth tiger.

Now a whole film crew is on its way to capture the excitement of science at work. The plan is to defrost the beast and reveal it live on national television.

Before the beast can be melted the scientists start to believe that it is too big to be a sabre tooth tiger. It looks to be an undiscovered predator that, according to some theories of evolution, was created solely to kill - likely to thin a population of other creature that was too plentiful. And based on the type of ice and the speed with which it froze, there is possibility that the creature could be in a suspended state and not really dead...

Child, Lincoln. (2009). Terminal Freeze. New York: Doubleday Publishing.

The Naming (Pellinor #1)

The Naming by Alison Croggon is the first book of her Pellinor series.

Mearad is a slave. She barely remembers the time before she and her mother were brought to the rough place she now lives. Since her mother's death she has been alone. She wishes to escape but cannot see a safe way to get out.

While she is milking cows one morning she sees a strange man stumble into the barn. He is surprised she can see him because only those with the gift can see through his spell of invisibility. The man, Cadvan, helps Maerad escape.

Though they will have a difficult journey, Cadvan is taking Maerad to a school for those with the gift, or Bards as they are called. It is the right of anyone with the gift to be educated in one of the seven schools.

This first book in the series tells of a world where evil is rising and there is corruption in some of the Bards' schools. Maerad's life will be better than it was as a slave, but she may have to work just as hard to survive.

Croggon, Alison. (2002). The Naming. Cambridge: Candlewick Press.