Robbie Cheadle

Beautifully written and compelling

Revisado: 01-17-21

I listened to the audio book of The Infinity Pool narrated by Jack Wynters. I enjoyed the readers voice interpretation of this novel and thought his tones suited the subject matter of the book very well.

The Infinity Pool is beautifully written and compelling and I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is about a vacation camp on a remote island where mainly British people go to recuperate from their stressful jobs and to take various courses aimed at developing them as people.

The camp leader is a charismatic man named Adrian, who is a bit of a womanizer but who is very good at helping other people rediscover the good in their lives and re-energize. As a result, Adrian is popular with the guests, many of whom come specifically to take his courses.

The book starts with Adrian feeling slightly disgruntled with his life and role at the camp and looking for a way to reignite his enthusiasm and vigor. He meets a young local girl and sets out to woo her as he finds her company gives him a new lease on youth.

His relationship with the girl ends and his very modern and cavalier attitude offends the locals who live in a nearby village. It is the last straw in an already strained relationship and a group of young men from the village set out to cause disruption at the camp and among the guests. At times, their actions are outright hostile and even criminal.

This is not a run of the mill mystery, it has a heavy focus on characterization and the development of selected characters in the book as they go through a period/s at the camp and undergo a healing process which allows them to move on from their pasts and change as people.

I enjoyed this story and was happy with the ending except for one small thread which wasn’t tied up for me. Other readers may not think that and it isn’t significant, just a small niggle for me.

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Sci-fi with a strong romantic element

Revisado: 01-17-21

I listened to the audio book of The One Discovered, narrated by Cammy Maughan. I enjoyed Cammy's style of reading and particularly loved the way she inserted laughs by the characters into her narration. That made this story feel very real and alive for me.

This is an interesting sci-fi YA novel with the unusual premise of a superior race of human-looking people called Diasodz, who have a variety of different powers such as an ability to heal, and who live in a different dimension to humans. I liked the idea of a different dimension rather than a different planet and I also enjoyed the parallels between life in their dimension and life in the human dimension such as their serving of a goddess.

Sophia is an ordinary, if pretty, teenage girl who is growing up in a single parent family. Her mother works very hard to support them both and give Sophia a good life. Sophia is an excellent student and is working hard towards gaining acceptance into a college of her choice. Sophia has a boyfriend, Rafe, who has been her best friend since birth and who is the son of her mother's good friend, Damiana.

The story starts with Sophia have a very life-like dream which features a gorgeous man. Before she can find out who he is she wakes up. A short while later, Sophia meets this same man at the café where she works as a waitress. At the same time, Angel, a new-comer to her high school, comes into her life and befriends both Rafe and herself.

It soon turns out that Angel is the younger brother of the gorgeous man named Ar'ch. As Sophia gets to know them both better, all sorts of unusual and strange events start to happen in Sophia's previously peaceful life. In addition, Sophia develops a strong attraction for Ar'ch which puts her in a complicated situation with Rafe, who is theoretically her boyfriend but with whom she has a platonic relationship.

Sophia was a lovely character and very typical of an overly sheltered teenage girl. Her reactions to Ar'ch and the attraction she feels for him were perfect for a YA novel. I enjoyed Sophia's loyalty to both her mother and Rafe and also her hard working tendencies which send a good message about the path to achievement to young readers.

Ar'ch was an interesting character. A play boy who has always had lots of female attention, he falls hard for Sophia. He tries to resist his attraction to her as she is part of his "mission" to earth and he is trying to be professional. Some of his behaviour seemed a bit unlikely for a man of his experience and age, but he was still enjoyable and I enjoyed hearing about him.

The ending as it related to Rafe was unexpected to me as I expected more to come in respect of this particular character. His reactions and behaviours were a bit unusual for a young man of his age and I thought this might lead to a bigger role for his in the future books. I have yet to see if that will be the case or not.

The story moved quite slowly for the first half of the book and there was a strong focus on the potential romance between Sophia and Ar'ch but the pace picked up hugely during the second half of the book and there was a lot of excitement and the introduction of new evil characters which made it highly entertaining.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy sci-fi with a strong romantic element.

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Exciting with strong and interesting characters

Revisado: 01-17-21

Rogue Elements is the second book in this series and I have read book 1. I am of the view that while it is nice to read the books in order as it gives you back story to the characters, it is not necessary to have read The Gamma Sequence to enjoy this book.

Rogue Elements gets off to an exciting start with private investigator, Hank DeShear, and his partner returning to the USA after the conclusion of their investigation in Indonesia. Hank is just about to start his life saving treatments to prevent the Gamma Sequence from triggering and killing him, when he gets a phone call saying that his partner has been brutally murdered on her way home from the airport. Hank believes that a killer called The Greyhound may not have died in Indonesia and may be the perpetrator of the murder. He prepares to leave for the murder scene having persuaded Maya, the lady who must administer his treatments, to accompany him and provide the treatments remotely. This is the start of another investigation which will take the pair to the United Kingdom and Hank on to Europe.

This is an exciting and fast paced book with plenty of intrigue and red herrings. There is lots of political intrigue with the Vice President of the USA once again offering to aid DeShear in the pursuit of his objectives and behind the political scenes corruption and profiteering. The genetic engineering premise in this book is well research and fresh, providing an exciting and horrifying new angle on this theme.

Who is the woman called Jaden Trinn and how does she fit in with possible further illegal activity by Angelus Genetics? I was pleased to see the introduction of a new strong willed and agile minded female character into this series and I also enjoyed the tiny flame of romance that seems to have ignited between Trinn and DeShear by the end of this book. Trinn is tough and clever with her own objectives and plans. She is loyal and determined and DeShear couldn't have a better companion for this adventure.

DeShear lives up to his previous reputation of being a hero who allows nothing and no-one to stand in his way of saving innocent victims. It was an interesting twist to have him fighting a life threatening illness in this book and having moments of vulnerability and weakness.

If you enjoy exciting thrillers with a medical theme and strong and interesting characters, then this is the book for you.

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A chilling collection

Revisado: 01-17-21

I listened to the audio book of The Box Under the Bed and right up front I must say that I really enjoyed the narrator, Lia Frederick. Her voice and style of reading really complimented this book.
The Box Under the Bed is an anthology of creepy, unusual and sometimes quite horrifying stories. This anthology was edited by author Dan Alatorre and his professionalism and talent shows through in this polished and slick collection of short stories.
I enjoyed each story but my personal favourites were as follows:
1. Passion by Jenifer Ruff – My word this story was completely horrifying as the main character’s calculated and carefully consider actions seem so very possible. Brooke is a beautiful and clever medical student who is on holiday with her family in Cancun. She manages to sneak some alone time away from her family and indulge in her own very grim and bloody hobby.
2. The Clearer by Allison Maruska – I have read another book by this author and I really do enjoy her style of writing. Allison contributed a few of the short stories in this collection and they were all excellent but this one really played on my nerves. Imagine arriving at a friend’s house to housesit while she is away and discovering all sorts of strange and weirdly dressed people around both inside and outside the house. No wonder her friend has had a breakdown but what do these people want?
The right place by Curtin Bausse – A small girl’s birthday celebration with her parents goes awry when she sees a ghost in the bathroom mirror of the restaurant where they are having lunch prior to going on a boat cruise. Is the ghost warning her of impending doom? Will her family make it back alive? Or is there something even more sinister afoot?

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Fast paced and clever

Revisado: 01-17-21

Have you ever wondered what drives a killer to murder? What goes on inside their minds at the moment when they take the life of another human being? How do they justify their actions? Dan Alatorre gives the reader a unique insight into the thought process and actions of a killer in his new thriller, Double Blind, which is written partially from the perspective of the killer. Step by step we accompany the killer on his voyage of murderous discovery as he undertakes his very first premeditated murder and finds that one is not enough. No, the first one has merely wet his appetite and now he has a limited ability to control his blood lust. Even if you are convinced that you are mentally and physically superior to everyone around you, it is not that easy being a killer, especially a serial killer. Your life is beset with anxiety that somehow you will give yourself away and they'll discover that its you. The need to kill also grows and grows and you find that you cannot stop yourself, even when the risk of discovery is unreasonably high. To late you find that there is no reason left.

There is a serial killer on the loose and Detectives Carly Sanderson and Sergio Martin have drawn the short straws. This is their case and the clues and evidence are thin on the ground. The killer has been careful to clean up after himself making him untraceable and this, together with his horrifying actions, has thrown the whole city into turmoil. The citizens of Seminole Heights are to scared to go out at night and tourists are giving the city a wide berth. The killer must be found and it needs to happen quickly.

In true Dan Alatorre style, however, nothing is as it seems in this novel and false clues and red herrings abound for the reader as you work your way through this clever labyrinth of a story.

The character of Carly Sanderson was particularly appealing to me. I enjoyed reading about a female in the position of lead detective and was delighted she proved to be a woman of stamina, intelligence and fortitude. Carly is certainly no shrinking violet and holds her own in a number of extremely testing and frightening circumstances.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who enjoy fast action and a clever story line. The murder scenes are fairly graphic so readers who are sensitive to violence may find some descriptions disturbing.

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Fast paced and exciting with a unique and well thought out plot

Revisado: 01-17-21

Hamilton “Hank” Deshear is just a regular guy who, due to some unexpected life curveballs, has ended up losing his job in the police force and also his home. Hank is struggling to re-establish himself financially in his new occupation as a self-employed private investigator. When Lanaya, a genetic scientist, contacts him and claims that the recent high-profile death of the well-known and wealthy head master of a local private school is not an accident, but rather a murder, Hank starts being drawn into the shadowy world of a serial killer. The deceased head master is the latest in a series of accidental deaths of fellow current and former genetic scientists. The link between all of these people and Lanaya is that they all worked together approximately ten years previously for a progressive genetic engineering research laboratory. Lanaya believes all the deaths are murders and that she is next on the list. She is seeking to employ Hank to track down the responsible party and stay alive. The murderer, however, is not an ordinary man. He is the product of genetic engineering aimed at producing a superior human specimen called the “Gammas”.

Soon Hank is on the run, together with Lanaya, hoping they can escape the warped justice of the murderer and unravel the greater mystery that underlies his vengeful murder spree.

Deshear is a likeable and easy going man, who exhibits ingenuity, determination and resourcefulness which quickly gets the reader on his side and routing for his success in tracking down the murderer. His background in the police force and his heroic past actions make his role in the book believable and realistic.

Lanaya grows on the reader. Initially, she comes across as being quite snotty and superior, but it soon becomes obvious that her attitude is due to fear and distrust of other people. She is the epitome of an innocent person who has ended up in trouble due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time and possibly not giving enough thought or consideration to the strange and unorthodox behaviours and work methodologies she saw around her. Lanaya proves herself to be brave and agile minded when both she and Deshear end up in an unexpected situation.

This book is fast paced and exciting, with a unique and well thought out plot which will intrigue readers who enjoy medical thrillers, or any other kind of thriller. The medical references are not unnecessarily complex or detailed and it is not necessary for the reader to have any sort of medical background to enjoy this book. The author managers to pull all the complex threads of the story neatly together at the end, leaving the reading with a satisfying conclusion but interested in coming back for more.

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An exciting and fast past murder mystery

Revisado: 10-26-19

Broken heart attack is the second book in James J. Cudney's successful Braxton Campus Mysteries series.

In this book we are immediately drawn back into Kellan's world in the introductory scenes where he has agreed to assist his feisty and determined grandmother, Nana D, in running for mayor and is trying to rally her team of elderly friends into constructively assisting with her campaign. Nana D is quick to notice that her friend Gwendolyn Paddington, matriarch of the extremely wealthy Paddington family, is unwell and at loggerheads with her selfish and uncaring descendants. After accidentally overhearing Gwendolyn engaged in a telephonic conversation with an unknown family member, Kellan agrees to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding Gwendolyn's ill-health on behalf of Nana D.

We are quickly reminded about the death of Kellan's wife and his life as a single parent to their daughter who has quickly settled into her new life in the way that only very young children can. His struggles with his "boss" at the Braxton Campus faculty where he works as a lecturer are re-introduced creating a lot of sympathy in the reader for Kellan, who is a really nice chap and the kind of man everyone should like. James Cudney is, in my opinion, excellent at creating believable characters which the reader really cares about.

When Gwendolyn unexpectedly dies at a theatre performance, following a public argument with her estranged son during the interval, Kellan is swept into the investigation into the unnatural circumstances surrounding her death. Who could be responsible? One of her spoiled children, all of whom have failed in areas of their lives and need money as a result? One of her selfish grandchildren, who seem to actively dislike her? Or could it be her male nurse who has a history of his own? Kellan throws himself into discovering the true facts of her death, while avoiding conflict with the town's female sheriff, who does not like any competition, especially from Kellan, and unexpected and unsettling confrontations with his dead wife's mother.

This is an exciting and fast past murder mystery with believable and interesting characters which will keep you flipping pages until the thoroughly satisfying ending. Luckily, there is another four books already available in this series so you don't have to wait to dive back into the world of Braxton Campus.

The narrator has a strong America accent which is 100% correct for this story which is set in the USA. For me, however, I did find is slightly distracting in some parts as I am used to British English. This did not detract from my enjoyment of this story as an audio book.

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An excellent read

Revisado: 12-20-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. I thought this was rather a unique read with two strong threads, one a romance and the other a series of murders, running through it. The author did a marvelous job of keeping the me on the edge of my seat throughout this book and also tied up all the loose ends beautifully at the end

What other book might you compare Swamp Ghosts to and why?

I can't think of another book that is quite like Swap Ghosts because of the two strong threads namely, romance and serial killings. If I had to compare it from an excitement and fast paced thriller point of view to another audible book I have recently listened to I would choose Frankly Speaking by Don Massenzio.

Have you listened to any of Melissa Williams’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listed to Melissa William's before but my thoughts are as follows: I listened to the audio book of Swamp Ghosts and I really enjoyed both the book and the narrator. The narrator’s voice perfectly complimented the story and really added to my enjoyment of this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A unique story with a two strong threads, one a romance and the other a fast paced thriller.

Any additional comments?

A great read that I would highly recommend.

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