Birth of an Assassin – Rik Stone

A book about Russia, that takes place in Russia with an English Narrator. Dennis Kleinman does an excellent job with the Narration but I would have preferred Soviet Accented Voice. That being said up front, Tim Stone has written an excellent book. I listen and see the books as a movie in my mind. This would be a great movie. The twists, deception and betrayal is legendary. This is one of the few books after listening to the audiobook I want to read the book again on paper.

A young Russian boy who is small and a threat to know one has a dream of being a soldier. He is Jewish but wants nothing more than to serve the Motherland. He is chosen by a General to be part of a secret program. He is taught in all the ways of the Special Forces fighting and weaponry. He is placed in the field of battle and excels. After being trained in intelligence he works a normal government job while spying on his own military for the military. It sounds confusing but really is explained and told in a way that is easy to follow.

I was surprised at how invested I was as a listener to the characters. I highly recommend this audiobook. 

Better to Rest – Dana Stabenow

This is Dana Stabenow’s 4th book in the Liam Campbell series. Narrated by for the 4th time by Marguerite Gavin. I can’t say enough about this series. I love the glimpse into the Alaskan bush, the small town feel, and how centuries pass where very little changes.

This book involves another death in the small town and a mystery that may go back 60 years. When hunters stumble upon a plane crash and bring back a severed hand holding a gold piece Liam must secure a scene that is unreachable by humans due to glacier ice. Sounds easy until others hear there may be gold on the glacier and are willing to Rick their life to reach it.

Liam also having been promoted to Seargent after closing a major case in the previous book must choose to stay in his small town or move to Ancorage. This affects his personal and professional life and weighs heavy on his mind and heart throughout the book.

If you are a Liam Campbell fan you will enjoy this book as it wraps up many story lines from the three previous books. 

So as to not promote spoilers please read the previous 3 books “Fire and Ice”, “So Sure of Death”, and “Nothing Gold Can Stay”. All of which may be purchased at Audible.com

Nothing Gold Can Stay – Dana Stabenow

Nothing Gold Can Stay is the third book in the Liam Campbell series. Set in the Alaskan Bush you get a sense of the people and atmosphere of the small community. Marguerite Gavin once again brings the characters to life and the feel of the community comes across in her performance. 

Dana Must Love Robert Frost because her book titles come from the Names of his Poems or phrases within his poems.  

This book and the series as a whole could be titled “Love and Murder and Murder and Murder”. I for one will not visit the Alaskan Outback because there are just too many dead people. 

I like the character interaction and the real life drama but I hope that maybe there are other crimes in Liam Campbell’s future. 

Dana is a good writer and I enjoy here stories. I am more intrigued by the relationships than the solving of the crimes. That is the Gold in this series.

So Sure Of Death – Dana Stabenow

This is the second book in the Liam Campbell series. We pick up right after the first book ends “Fire and Ice”. This book is Narrated by Marguerite Gavin. The ability to voice each character, accents included, is done excellently.

It seems death and murder is an everyday occurrence in the Alaskan Bush. This time Trooper Campbell must solve the brutal murder of 8 people who were burned and left to the elements and the Ocean on a burned out boat left afloat on the water. Who would kill a family and crew, and most important to the community and Liam is Why?

I like these adventures and descriptions of Alaskan Life. The books keep a good pace and keep me interested and wanting to listen to the rest of the story.

There is crime, love, loss, and betrayal in this audiobook. Enjoy at Audible.com 

Tesla – W. Bernard Robinson

This scientific book about Nikola Tesla Narrated by Allan Robinson and written by W. Bernard Carlson is a great overview of Tesla, his inventions and his humanity. This book explores his ideas, his successes and his failures. It reads like a History Channel Documentary, but Allan Robinsos’s narration makes it an enjoyable listen. I would suggest you have Internet access when listening so you can see pictures of Tesla’s inventions to give you visual of what you hearing about.
I found out many things I did not know about Tesla.  I was surprised that Tesla traveled as much as he did as travel was difficult in early 1900’s. This story is not a puff piece but looks at Tesla’s flaws and success equally drawing no conclusions but presenting the facts.
If you are a history buff this book is a great listen.
I purchased this book for my own entertainment.

The Last Snow – Eric Van Lustbader

Eric Van Lustbader’s send book in the Jack McClure series is a step up from his first book The Last Daughter. This thriller takes place in Russia as Jack accompanies the President travels to Moscow. Jack is the Presidents closest ally and confidant. Jack makes a split second decision to get involved with defending a Russian Woman and is drawn into what could become an international incident.

When the President’s Daugter is left in his custody he must protect her while solving a mystery before the President signs a new agreement with Russia.

It is a mile a minute thrill ride and Richard Ferrone does an amazing job with the characters in this series. As an advid audiophile I appreciate a narrator who stays with a series from book to book. This is a great book to listen to and I am excited to start the next book in this series.

I bought this book for my own pleasure and provide this Honest Review for my readers.

Bloodletting – Michael McBride

Bloodletting is an Audiobook available on Audible.com and Narrated by Scott Thomas. Scott does a great job with the Female voice and the male FBI agent in this story. The story itself is very intense involving multiple mutilated body’s found in several states with no suspects. 

Hundreds of miles away mummified remains are found and an anthropologist is taken from her dig in South America, by the FBI, to look at the remains. The anthropologist and the FBI Agent are old Friends and wonder why they are brought together for this case.

Plans for DNA manipulation going back to WWII and the Nazis comes to light and the mystery takes a sinister turn.

This thriller makes you think and shiver as your listening. What possibly could happen next? Will they ever stop this serial killer? Will they ever solve this crime?

Bloodletting is a wild ride and worth listening to more than once.

This book was gifted to me for an honest review from a third party.

Lady Ace – Sandra Farris

Lady Ace is an audiobook narrated by Lia Fredrick and written by Sandra Farris. Lady Ace is the nick name given to the main character Kasey O’Brian. After her fathers plane crashed into a Colorado Mountain Side she was left with running the family airplane business. When her plan looses power on final approach she lands the plane with her passengers in one piece.

Upon further inspection she finds her oil line was cut and begins to question what is going on. Is someone trying to kill her and if so did they succeed in killing her father also, or was it her passenger they were after. Who can she trust on this Oregon Ranch she flew too and can she keep her business and herself Alive?

Lia Fredrick does an excellent job narrating this audiobook.  The story is short, only six hours, and very intriguing. A great listen for a rainy day.

This audiobook was a gift in return for an honest review. Available on Audible.com

Before He Kills Again – R. Barri Flowers

Before He Kills Again is a Veronica Vasquez Thriller Narrated by Jane Boyer and written by International Best-Selling Author R. Barri Flowers. In honesty this is the first book I have read or listened to and I was not disapointed. Being from Oregon myself reading a story that takes place in Portland, as well as the coast and other cities I know well it was a bit of home for this reviewer.         Veronica Vasquez is a FBI psychologist and criminal profiler who comes home to Oregon to assist the Portland Police Bureau is catching a serial killer named “The Rose Killer” which is quaint since Portland is the Rose City. This killer kills in pairs one Black and one White female victim and leaves a rose one black and one white on each. 

Detective Sergeant, and former FBI Agent, Bryan Waldicott is not sure he wants the FBI’s help. Veronica must prove herself a team player and win over the Portland Detectives. After loosing her husband three years ago she has hidden in her work and worked mostly alone tracking the worst criminals the FBI knows about. This trip to Portland is the first time it isn’t work only. Her astranged sister lives in Portland and so the story involves an attempt of reconnecting along with a dangerous pursuit of the Rose Killer.

This audiobook was well done and well written. I was intrigued and suprised with the twists and turns. There is some adult sexual material and a love story intertwined in this horrific murder rampage but overall I was suprised and am excited to read another Vasquez Thriller.

This book was gifted to me for an honest review.

The Academy-Lost Tales of Power Series Book 2

The Second Book in the “Lost Tales Of Power” Series narrated again by Jack De Golia @JackWestCoast. Jack’s ability to do male and female voices and even different alien races in a way that I can tell who is talking before the author tells me is a great credit to his workmanship and love of the spoken word.  The Author Vincent Trigili work continues to expand a universe to include other dementions without streaching the believability of the story.  He takes from several different known ideas, stargates, warp drive, magic, good and evil, and weaves them into a story that is interesting and intriguing. 

In this book the Characters from the first Book “Enemy of an Enemy” play an advanced but background roll and he introduces us to new young characters. Although young is relative as these characters live for hundreds of years. As the Empire has fallen and the Imperial Navy has been broken up and handed out to newly formed “states/governments” James the Pilot who assissted in defeating the Sorcerers in the final battle must deal with his nightmares of loseing a ship in battle and of his future. James enters the academy and unlike normal boot camp this training starts with a ten year training and weeding out process. Breaking students of old world ideas of selfishness and rebuilding selflessness and team work. Something lost in the technology overloaded future. 

There is still a darkness in the air over the newly formed republic and only a few can sense its presence. Time is ticking to train new wizards in time for the sorcerers revenge. This book and series looks at manyaspects of future life in a mystical yet practical way. I enjoy these books and hope to continue to receive them for review in the future.