Nick Brett's Customer Reviews http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV Mon, 1 Dec 2014 12:57:39 GMT Mon, 1 Dec 2014 12:57:39 GMT 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 60 Amazon Community RSS 2.0 en-us Copyright 2014, Amazon.com Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: The Suicide Exhibition 1417438659-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00DW4LE9M http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00DW4LE9M&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R11IWE3WPFY7G0&store=yourstore Mon, 1 Dec 2014 12:57:39 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Suicide Exhibition: The Never War (Never War 1) by Justin Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun, December 1, 2014
An old fashioned WW2 romp with a blend of sci-fi. Take those evil Nazis from something like the Indiana Jones films and imagine they have managed to awake ‘something’. While the bad guys are trying to discover and control something beyond human understanding, a small team in the UK are tasked with investigating the Nazi plot while also trying to understand some odd goings on in the UK in terms of UFOs.

This is obviously a positioning novel in the start to a series, which is good news for readers as it means we will get some more of this quirky alternate history. And it could go in a number of directions, I could almost see the Allies teaming up with the Germans to combat an unearthed threat to humanity.

The author has a lot of fun with this, blending historical fact with his story and I suspect it is in the next novel that we will see the real diversion from history as we know it. The level of sci-fi in this is probably akin to the Nazi elements of the Indiana Jones films so not too heavy but you have to be receptive to this kind of thing.

I really enjoyed it- generally good characters, a fast paced plot, some very bad “bad” guys and something very nasty indeed being unearthed. Roll on the next one, looking forward to it already.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Willful Child 1415273065-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0765374897 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0765374897&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3N39CJM8WQR91&store=yourstore Thu, 6 Nov 2014 11:24:25 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Willful Child by Steven Erikson
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Affectionate spoof, November 6, 2014
This review is from: Willful Child (Hardcover)
Author Steven Erikson is having enormous fun here. It is obvious he is a Star Trek fan and shares a light hearted vision of a Star Trek type universe and Federation type expansion. Told in a deliberate episodic style that puts a unique twist of the Kirk maverick style by having a captain who pretty much does what he likes and it always comes good. The crew play the straight man to him along with a computer who takes self-awareness to a whole new level. Star Trek fans do have a sense of humour and will see many areas where the Star Trek world and message is gently prodded at. For non-fans there is still plenty to enjoy, you just need to not take this seriously and get into the mind-set of enjoying a pretty entertaining ride. Mr Erikson’s stuff is normally very serious fantasy, so important to understand that this is a light hearted tale where the author wants you to have as much fun reading it as he had writing it
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: The Black Stone (Agent of Rome) 1415116119-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-1444779095 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1444779095&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=RMSS76ECLVGDN&store=yourstore Tue, 4 Nov 2014 15:48:39 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Black Stone (Agent of Rome) by Nick Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars great writing, November 4, 2014
The fourth in the Agent of Rome series. And an excellent series it is too, with the author growing in confidence and ability.

Cassius Corbulo is a “grain-man”, in essence a Roman spy sent on a variety undercover missions. Smart, but no warrior, he needs the assistance of his bodyguard and his slave to get by. The dynamics of the relationships between them are one of the highlights of the series, they don’t always get on and there is a slave and master relationship that they struggle with but feels realistic. Good strong characters they have developed through the series. And while this is obviously a Roman action thriller, there is also a vein of humour with some nice one liners (also in keeping with the characters).

Here the mission is to lead a small group of soldiers to recover a sacred item from a tribal leader. So it is about the journey, the character dynamics, the politics of the time and some action of course.

You sense that Nick Brown is in his stride and enjoying working with the characters he has developed. A real talent here that offers something a little bit different from the other action stories set in this era.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Judge Dredd Year One 1414491082-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-178108274X http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=178108274X&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=RFHD3PJ5D9UYV&store=yourstore Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:11:22 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Judge Dredd Year One: Omnibus by Matt Smith
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Young Dredd, October 28, 2014
Omnibus edition of three stories that, I think, were issued as e-books. This is a young Dredd in his early days as a Judge. Given that Dredd almost has no personality and is a stoic and immovable vision of the law, I imagine it makes him tough to write about, but somehow the authors here have done a good job of balancing plots and keeping Dredd’s iconic single-mindedness to the fore. This is helped by Dredd’s clone twin who reflects a much darker side of being a Judge.

City Fathers – It looks like a new drug, possibly of alien origin, is killing people and Dredd must investigate and resolve before it gets out of hand.

Cold Light of Day – Nice balance of the young Judge here and a flashback to being a cadet. As senior Judges are murdered it looks like a decision made years ago could be coming back to haunt the newly qualified Judge.

Wear Iron – A career criminal is forced into an alliance with someone very dark indeed. Probably my favourite story, some clever mis-direction, some of the dark humour of the comic series and good use of the Mega-City One culture and attitudes.

So, a satisfying omnibus, clever treatment of the character without taking anything away from the firmly established Judge we know so well. The authors here know their subject well and that is reflected in three very entertaining stories. Good fun and recommended for fans of the Judge.
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: The Magician's Land 1412256034-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0670015679 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0670015679&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=ROIW5WV2MDEBJ&store=yourstore Thu, 2 Oct 2014 13:20:34 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Magician's Land: A Novel (Magicians Trilogy) by Lev Grossman
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Fantasy, October 2, 2014
So an immensely interesting and satisfying trilogy concludes. Not one to dip into, they need to be read in order.

Lev Grossman has taken the concept of Narnia and Harry Potter and given it a dark and adult twist that constantly counter-balances the twee aspects of the magical world Fillory with how real humans would interact with it. The series asks you to question what real people would do with magic, especially when those people have typically human personalities and flaws.

This final book finds our lead character, Quentin, banished from Fillory and back in the real world. There are two main threads to the story and one minor one. The main thread is Quentin and what happens to him, teaching back at Brakebills, getting involved in a heist and an obsession with a ghost. Meanwhile back in Fillory the human Kings and Queens are coping with the potential end of everything. The (very interesting) sub thread is a diary showing how Fillory was discovered and how it came to become a series of books.

It is hard to do this trilogy justice, it is stunning. Well written and clever with plenty of asides and references that make you smile while admiring the sheer quality of what you are reading.

There is a minority that consider this as a slight on Narnia or Potter but it isn’t. It asks grown up questions of both of the two series and has enormous fun with the concept.
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: The Iron Castle (Outlaw Chronicles) 1412086896-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00FLY3UU2 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00FLY3UU2&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3HVS8IOH2XRQ2&store=yourstore Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:21:36 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Iron Castle (Outlaw Chronicles) by Angus Donald
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, September 30, 2014
The sixth in a series that keeps on giving and shows no signs of slowing down at all. Yes, the series loosely based on the legend of Robin Hood but it has moved on to cover the Crusades and in this one the battles in France between King John and Philip of France. The main thrust here is the siege of Château-Gaillard where Robin and pro-King John barons hold out for a rescue by the King that would never come. The story is told by the real hero of the series, Alan Dale who is an honest God-fearing man who has the strength of loyalty to Robin.

The author is a master story-teller and this series is very special indeed. Here he seamlessly gets so much into the novel, a story with pace, real characters and conflicts, the historical aspect and of course the siege itself. I do read a lot yet every time I pick up one of Angus Donald’s books I am reminded what a true art it is to write historical fiction to this standard.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Born to Exile 1412085778-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0440108543 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0440108543&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R34K1XDHE61BOA&store=yourstore Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:02:58 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Born to Exile by Phyllis Eisenstein
4.0 out of 5 stars Gentle fantasy, September 30, 2014
This review is from: Born to Exile (Paperback)
Written in 1977 this is a gentle and thoughtful fantasy. I was also slightly shocked to see that the magical talent described here is the same as appeared in the Jumper films and books some 30 years later, I’d love to know what the author thought of her ideas being reflected by another author.

Anyway, Alaric has the ability to teleport himself but hides this in a world where any sort of witchcraft is punishable by death. His skills as a minstrel get his into a castle but his mistake is to fall in love with a princess and have his skill exposed. It is almost a book of three parts as following this adventure he travels to a village hiding a dark secret and then he finds himself on a journey to discover his origins and the strange family he comes from.

It is a short but well written book with an engaging lead character and it avoids overuse of his magic. It felt slightly old fashioned in the telling but I liked that aspect. The cover(s) may appear whimsical or more pointed towards the ladies but this is still a worthwhile, easy, read.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: AIRBURST (THE COLD WAR CHRONICLES OF MAXWELL TAYLOR MOSS Book 4) 1412084861-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00B7SC228 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00B7SC228&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R1M0LB2PWQHHXC&store=yourstore Tue, 30 Sep 2014 13:47:41 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

AIRBURST (THE COLD WAR CHRONICLES OF MAXWELL TAYLOR MOSS Book 4) by Steven L. Thompson
4.0 out of 5 stars Full throttle, September 30, 2014
Written in 1987 by an author who knows his stuff, with not only an USAF background but considerable racing experience. So this is the fourth Max Mosely story, one that started in the excellent “Recovery”. These stories are all set during the Cold war and evoke memories of those worrying times. This one is about nuclear terrorism but there are some aspects of the story that are years ahead in their approach, we have issues about an independent Palestine we even have (remember this is from 1987) experimental drones flown by pilots from the ground. As always we get to see Max do what he does best as he blends with the cutting edge technology.

Yes it is typical of books written around that period but it is also a very entertaining nostalgic thriller.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles) 1412075411-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0345548485 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0345548485&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3GBQ53Y3JCWD0&store=yourstore Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:10:11 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Shattered (Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, September 30, 2014
Blimey, have we got to book seven already. This is a series that, despite some ups and downs, has generally been very entertaining. This one has a helpful catch up at the start to help you remember how we got to this point – very useful. This story is told from three Fist person viewpoints, Atticus himself, lady druid Granuaile and resurrected archdruid, Owen. This is complicated at first before you tune in to their various voices and storylines. The weakness is probably Granuaile and her bit, it kind of goes nowhere special but the sections with Atticus and Owen do take the story forward and we finally understand who it is that has been plotting against the iron Druids.

I enjoyed this, hope we see more of Owen in the future.
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Nick Brett gave 3 stars to: Sandstorm (Sigma Force) 1411048524-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0062017586 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0062017586&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R8UHCQ5L97M5X&store=yourstore Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:55:24 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Sandstorm (Sigma Force) by James Rollins
3.0 out of 5 stars Undemanding action thriller, September 18, 2014
I have seen a few reviews that suggest this is like the Dan Brown books, apart from being a thriller dealing with ancient history, it is nothing like Brown’s heavy handed writing. It is more in the vein of early Clive Cussler (before he out-sourced his writing and let the standards slip) in being a fast paced romp. I’ve had this in my pile to read for some while and while characterisation is a little light and you are asked to suspend belief it is quite fun.

Following a weird explosion in the British Museum, Sigma Force, a secret US agency, are brought in to investigate. Hooking up with archaeologists and adventurers, off they set to the desert to track down an ancient mystery, all the time dogged by a bunch of mercenaries and a very strange sect of females. It’s the kind of thing that is not overly unique but just about delivers what is says on the tin. You have to be in the right mind-set and if you question logic/co-incidence or the science then you may struggle, but if you just want to be entertained without making much effort then this might be for you.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: When The Sky Was Protected (Grace Bryant, Federal Air Marshal ) (Volume 1) 1410180113-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-069226096X http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=069226096X&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2VVO41XYJ9GKG&store=yourstore Mon, 8 Sep 2014 12:41:53 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

When The Sky Was Protected (Grace Bryant, Federal Air Marshal ) (Volume 1) by Madison J. Doherty
4.0 out of 5 stars Trauma in the skies, September 8, 2014
Interesting one this, a thriller about a female air-marshal and an attempted hi-jacking on a transatlantic flight. A few things are covered here, how the incident is dealt with, the mistakes made and the stress of the aftermath. I liked the fact this felt very real and there was a lack of action heroes launching into gun battles. The plot stretches into the background and inconsistency of the event and I confidently predicted where the plot was going and who the bad guys were. I will give away no spoilers except to say I was wrong and this ended up in a direction I wasn’t expecting, so credit to the author there! Credit also to the author for a well-researched book and very real characters. And of course for a plot that works and avoids the obvious. I’ve read that this has an element of romance to it, and that would (I have to confess) be enough to have made me avoid this, but I am pleased to say that while there are relationships in this it didn’t feel ‘romantic’ to me.

So, a good first time effort from the author and (providing there is an on-going lack of romance!!) I would probably pick up a follow on. Not bad at all.
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Nick Brett gave 3 stars to: Personal (Jack Reacher) 1410178969-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0804178747 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0804178747&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2YCRGQE3AEKYZ&store=yourstore Mon, 8 Sep 2014 12:22:49 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Personal (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly under-whelmed, September 8, 2014
Jack Reacher's drifting existence is interrupted by an message in an abandoned army newsletter. He follows up to find his services are needed as a top sniper he once arrested might be planning a hit on world leaders and may already have had a practice shot at the French President. Cue Reacher joining up with a young female CIA agent (of course) and tracking snipers to London via Paris. Being British, Lee Child is obviously on familiar British territory and the Brits are treated with respect and not as old fashioned and not up to the job, which was a nice change. But we see Reacher drawing out the bad guys for somewhat typical Reacher confrontations and his unique moral stance.

I was delighted to see the story move from "small town in the middle of nowhere" and "vulnerable female officer to work with" to a more international aspect and of course the London aspect was entertaining too. Having said that, the plot and the `reveal' felt quite far-fetched and over elaborate. It felt like Lee Child wanted to take Reacher to London and struggled to find a clever way to make it happen. While Reacher is always engaging and an easy read, I ended up feeling somewhat underwhelmed. So `okay' as a Reacher fix but I wanted a lot more than this delivered.
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: World of Trouble 1410174442-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-1594746850 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1594746850&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3MSF0G2BDUSHT&store=yourstore Mon, 8 Sep 2014 11:07:22 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

World of Trouble: The Last Policeman Book III by Ben H. Winters
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The last mystery, September 8, 2014
The final book in a trilogy that has been both different and special. The background to the trilogy is that an asteroid is on its way to wipe out the planet, and as society falls apart, (ex) detective Hank Palace keeps his sanity by doing the job that he knows so well. But in this last book he has a personal dimension, his sister is missing, part of a group that think the asteroid is a conspiracy. Can he find her in time?

This is almost post-apocalyptic as we see society in ruins (but we avoid the too easy option of marauding bad guys) – this is about people coming to terms with the end and their different approaches. Hank is a fascinating character, slightly OCD – he writes copious notes despite the view that they will never be read by anyone, and he wants to make sure his sister is safe, and that might be the final mystery he gets to solve.

Dark, but unique, this has been a fantastic series which I cannot recommend highly enough – make sure you start with the first one and read them in order.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Man in the Middle 1410167672-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0446616672 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0446616672&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R1SUKMAZCVMXQZ&store=yourstore Mon, 8 Sep 2014 09:14:32 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Man in the Middle by Brian Haig
4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing thriller, September 8, 2014
You feel this was a deeply personal book for the author based on his genuine experience and knowledge.

When a defence contractor appears to have committed suicide, newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel Sean Drummond is asked to take a look. Given Drummond is seconded to the CIA there is obviously an intelligence concern. Drummond ends up working with a female from the military police and together they work out that the suicide might actually be murder. To further complicate things, the dead contractor may have been involved in something much deeper that may have taken the US into Iraq under false pretences.

I enjoyed this as I have all the Drummond novels and would have no hesitation in recommending them, but this one does make you think. I appreciate that there are some reviews that suggest the author is lecturing the reader, but I see it more as educating the reader and explaining elements of the Middle East and the relationships between differing Muslim factions. Considering when this book as written and the current situation in the Middle East it has certainly provided me with additional perspective.

But this is a thriller and I also enjoyed it just on that front. I love Drummond’s female boss and enjoyed the complexity of the intelligence machine and the different agendas of all the players
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: Hannibal 1409671119-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00FAXJJBI http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00FAXJJBI&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R1EDWKINTD5037&store=yourstore Tue, 2 Sep 2014 15:18:39 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane
4.0 out of 5 stars The adventure continues, September 2, 2014
Ben Kane’s Hannibal series has been impressive and this is the third (and I sense there will be more).

Set during Rome’s war with Carthage, our central characters are friends who sit on either side of the conflict. In the middle is Aurelia, sister to the Roman Quintus and in love with Hanno who is from Carthage.

Much of this is set on Sicily and the Roman siege of Syracuse and the conflicts and adventures of our three main characters to bring into context the backdrop of the war and the siege. These were not nice times and Ben Kane does well to give us a good perspective from both sides and allows us to have a balanced view. It’s authentic, bloody and brutal.

My favourite is the first in the series, I thought it was brilliantly delivered by the author. I enjoyed this one, but if I had an annoyance with it, it would be that Aurelia seems to have become reckless beyond belief and I found her level of stupidity a little frustrating. Having said that, Hanno and Quintus are as engaging as ever and the story is as vivid and exciting as we have come to expect.
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Nick Brett gave 1 star to: First Daughter (Jack McClure/Alli Carson Novels) 1408369033-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0765361426 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0765361426&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=RMV5BDZLCA7HL&store=yourstore Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:37:13 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

First Daughter (Jack McClure/Alli Carson Novels) by Eric Van Lustbader
1.0 out of 5 stars A mess of a book, August 18, 2014
Not sure where to start with this mess of a book. The author provides a thriller on the theme of religious fundamentalism but the twist here is that it is US Christian fundamentalism. So far so good, and he adds in an agent with Dyslexia and the daughter of the President elect being kidnapped and dark politics from the out-going administration. Some interesting idea that utterly fail in their delivery, clichéd characters, preaching to the reader, diatribes on faith, a ludicrous bad guy, it’s just a mess and hard to get through. I’ve read a few EVL books and they have been okay, but this one is just best avoided.
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: The Blooding. James McGee 1408368508-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0007394594 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0007394594&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R3PP78J0AO5RFD&store=yourstore Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:28:28 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Blooding. James McGee by James McGee
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, August 18, 2014
This is the fifth novel in the Matthew Hawkwood series. Set in the Regency period, this started as a Bow Street Runners story with Hawkwood and his trusty Sergeant very much in the Sharpe mould but as the books have gone on, the stories have taken steps away from that original premise.

In the previous book Hawkwood was in France and trying to get home, in The Blooding we find that circumstance has not been kind and he has ended up in America. Important to note that at this time (1812) Britain was at war with America on the borders between the newly formed US and Canada. Well worth looking the conflict up before you read the book as it does help position the story.

Anyway, on his way towards British held Canada Hawkwood rescues a fellow officer and the pair of them are chased towards the border. When they find details of a proposed American invasion it makes their escape even more crucial.

Through the series Hawkwood has been a mysterious character with a secret past, this book explains about his origins and how they may help him in his current predicament. I thought this was very good, if not the best of the series. Placing the character in America at a time that is not well known to many readers was interesting, but the story and the involvement of the native American Indians added a lot too. The Hawkwood back-story is something we have long waited for and doesn’t fail to please and this wrapped into the wider story delivers a very satisfying and enjoyable book.
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Nick Brett gave 5 stars to: White Lies 1408006845-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00J379GTC http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00J379GTC&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2E62F9R1XUZIU&store=yourstore Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:00:45 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

White Lies: The 11th Spider Shepherd Thriller by Stephen Leather
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Truth or Dare, August 14, 2014
I was lucky and received an advance copy of this, the 11th Spider Shepherd thriller.

Stephen Leather once again provides an intelligent thriller that cranks up the tension while exploring some uncomfortable themes. As an author he allows his characters to grow and evolve and tries not to just repeat the same types of storyline.

For me White Lies is about loyalty and how far you are prepared to go to achieve your aims. When an intelligence agent is identified and interrogated by terrorists on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, Spider joins a local assault team to rescue him and things go horribly wrong…

Sufficient scene setting is in place that we understand and care about the variety of characters here and as readers we are conflicted by both ‘sides’ doing what they have to in order to get answers, one side we will cheer and obviously be outraged by the other – it’s quite a subtle way to get you to not look at things in terms of black and white. Stephen Leather’s books are all about shades of grey.

This is also a book where Spider’s boss, Charlie Button really comes into her own. Along with Spider she had moved into the intelligence services a couple of books back, but now we see her in her element, confident, tough, and willing to cross the line for her people. She has become a force to be reckoned with. Great to also see more of characters from previous books including the mysterious Richard Yokely.

I am an obvious fan of the series but this is another great entry.
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Nick Brett gave 4 stars to: War Games (A Glen Savage mystery) 1407860272-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-B00KRDY7F4 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00KRDY7F4&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R2HO7GU8GE3XYK&store=yourstore Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:17:52 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

War Games (A Glen Savage mystery) by Douglas Jackson
4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining crime novel, August 12, 2014
A rather good value kindle book from an author more well known for his excellent stories set in Roman times. But this is a crime novel, featuring an ex Falklands veteran with some psychic abilities.. Glen Savage is brought in to locate a missing Asian girl but finds out there might be a link to a spate of deaths.

It kicks along nicely, the psychic bit is not overplayed and Savage is an interesting character with a good backstory. You can also tell the author’s love of both Scotland and history which again add dimension to the story. I enjoyed this and would be happy to pick up another book about Mr Savage.
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Nick Brett gave 3 stars to: The Remaining 1407852439-A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV-0316404179 http://www.amazon.com/review/discussions/start-thread.html?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0316404179&authorID=A2Q6QHKMLSEIOV&displayType=ReviewDetail&reviewID=R1M0X5UHQ0LVEU&store=yourstore Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:07:19 GMT Nick Brett reviewed:

The Remaining: Aftermath by D.J. Molles
3.0 out of 5 stars The Walking...er...Infected, August 12, 2014
Second book in the “Remaining” series – a bit of a variation on the Walking Dead theme. In book one, most of the population has been either killed off by a virus or turned into zombies (whoops, sorry, we call them the infected here). Captain Lee Harden is one of a group of US soldiers bunkered down in the event of world changing events, and he comes out to find the US savaged by death, the infected and those trying to take control. This idea of highly trained soldiers who would emerge to re-build after a disaster event (with access to bunkers of food and equipment) was an interesting one and made book one a little bit different.

Book two continues on the theme with Harden trying to unite survivors and fight off bad guys and infected types. This falls more firmly into zombie type territory and those that like that kind of stuff will probably enjoy an undemanding and easy trip into post-apocalyptic America.
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