Tag: Book Reviews

The Concrete Blonde – Harry Bosch

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The Concrete Blonde (Harry Bosch, #3; Harry Bosch Universe, #3) by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Nov 24, 2023  

I’ve missed Harry Bosch.
Although this is an older title, I haven’t stumbled across one of Michael Connelly’s cop stories in a while. I’ve been able to get my Bosch fix through streaming both that series and the Lincoln Lawyer.

This book has Harry all twisted inside-out, having him involved in a big civil suit launched against him for taking out a serial killer. Then, while the trial is going on, a note appears that shows there might be a copycat killer or that Harry killed the wrong man.

Add in Bosch’s lates romance that he is trying to cling to…and various suspects he tracks down only to find he’s got the wrong guy, and The Concrete Blonde is a fast-paced read with lots of twists and turns that keeps you guessing to the end.

Echoes in Eternity – Street Cop Stories

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Echoes in Eternity: Street Cop Stories
by James Disser

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Oct 15, 2023  

I didn’t find this book all that interesting, perhaps because I also worked the streets for over 31 years and lived the same stories.
Having said that, Disser offers a real look into the types of calls and crimes that police officers face on a daily basis.
As an author, I think this former cop fell into the same trap I did with my first book, telling his tales as if writing a police report,without much emotion. Not that the individual stories weren’t inciteful for most people, they just lacked enough feeling to drag readers into the events he related.
For anyone who wants a real-life account of what happens during a variety of police investigations, this book is a good example.

The Bat – Jo Nesbo

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The Bat by Jo Nesbo (June 04,2013)
by Jo Nesbø (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review, Aug 01, 2023 it

I just couldn’t finish this one and struggled to give it 3 stars. The cover says it’s the first Harry Hole thriller but it’s more like a chiller. I gave up on page 200, about half-way through the book.

Having read Nesbo’s Snowman and also seeing the movie, maybe I expected too much. It was the author’s first time out so maybe he was only beginning to polish his act.

There is way too much useless fluff and character backstory – one part in particular where a whole chapter is wasted on useless information about an inconsequential person. At least twice, I had to flip back to the beginning to remember what the opening murder scene was all about.

Perhaps the story gets better in the end. Guess I’ll never know.

Border City Chronicles – Four More

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BORDER CITY CHRONICLES – BOOK 2 – 4 stars out of 5 – Editorial Review:

Detective Norm Strom is back, along with several detectives we already know. Our favorite detective relates four more stories of local crime in the Windsor area. Although more detailed in police procedures, each story relates a varied and interesting case file.

1. GONE FISHING – A fishing story that involves catching brutal attackers rather than fish and explains the failings of the judicial system in caring for victims.

2. THE HATFIELDS AND MCKAYS – A tale of a family feud that ends in murder.

3. VICTIMLESS CRIME – a narrative explaining the flaws in the system that is supposed to protect people from scams and frauds.

4. 30 YEARS COLD – A body of a man is discovered. Missing 30 years ago, the discovery shakes his family. This story of his death echoes your mind.

This book held my interest as Norm worked the various cases. The suspense and intrigue ran through the narrative and each story held different perspectives of police work. This book is a well-written story and its social and political implications gave a realistic feel to the plot-definitely a book worth reading.

Official Release Date: August 1st, 2023 – Pre-orders now available

The Accident – Linwood Barclay

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The Accident
by Linwood Barclay (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 10, 2023 

Reading the intro on the back of this book, I was leery, thinking it would be a yawner with a ho-hum plot. But thankfully, I was wrong. I guess what put me off was that the story was about Joe Citizen investigating a car accident that caused the death of his wife.
As I tread cautiously into the first few chapters, Linwood Barclay’s mastery as a story teller quickly grabbed my attention. What appeared to be a common tale told by a common man, slowly evolved into a good whodunnit mystery thriller.
Our protagonist in this story is not a super hero or even a dogged police detective. He is the guy next door who has a natural curiosity about his wife’s death. He has questions. And in seeking answers to the ones that keep him up at night, he starts to unravel a complex and complicated plot that keeps readers guessing throughout the whole book.
Kudos to fellow Canadian author Linwood Barclay for a very good read.

The Eye of God – James Rollins

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The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by 

James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Jun 01, 2023  ·  edit

really liked it

The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 01, 2023  

An entertaining read, action-packed and fast paced, but all too predictable.
The familiar story…an elite special force sets out to save the world, getting hunted, shot and or stabbed along the way. Count on at least one or two of the secondary characters getting bumped off but the mai characters save the world at the very last minute (not really a spoiler alert) and live happily until the next mission comes along.
Rollins is a good author but he’s relied on the tried and true method of telling the same old story to secure readers. Personally, I prefer something out of the ordinary to pique my interest.
Having said that, I did enjoy the material about matter from outer space and the many things we really don’t know about our own universe.

Greenwood

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Greenwood
by 

Michael Christie (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Apr 27, 2023  

This book has received great reviews from other readers, and it’s probably worthy of 4 or 5 stars, but I just couldn’t do it. Granted, I only read the first 115 pages so maybe I’m being unfair.
Regardless, this book moves slower than watching a tree grow. Starting in the future, the story covers several decades, revealing more as time reverses itself. Kind of a cool concept I thought, but it only led to confusion as I tried to wrap my head around new characters introduced and the piles of back story for each and every one of them.
In my opinion the book could have been easily reduced by 100 pages, but that’s just me.
Please read other reviews posted for this yawner since it has appealed to many other readers.

Skim – by Steve Byrne

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Skim: Milk, Money & Murder
by Steve Byrne

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Apr 04, 2023 

What a great novel for author Steve Byrne’s first time out.
Skim is a prohibition era yarn, set in the City of Windsor during it’s nefarious rum-running days.
The story is about one man, a war hero, who wants to do better by his family and chooses to get involved with local gangsters who are tied into the renowned Purple Gang, and their illegal whiskey business.
Maurice “Moose” Ducharme uses his milk route to deliver black market Canadian Club whiskey to his booze-thirsty clients, taking a big risk by getting in deep with the local crime syndicate.
Being a bit of a Winsor history buff, the story kept me turning pages and routing for the underdog.
For anyone interested in local history, prohibition, and Windsor’s dark past, this book is must read.

85 Grams – Art Williams: Drug Czar

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85 Grams: Art Williams: Drug Czar
by Daryl Ashby

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Jan 04, 2023 

Being a retired police officer who spent five years in narcotics, some of that time working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, I found this book interesting and somewhat comical at times. The story takes place a few years before I was a Narc, but the good guys vs the bad guys scenario that played out in the plot rang very true to me.
Granted, most of the drug dealers I had contact with where nowhere near as smart and cunning as Art Williams, the Mounties main target. I was blown awaybyt the lengths he went to stay under the radar, yet taunt the police at the same time. It was like he was always one step ahead of them.
The story contains personal accounts from various people who knew Art Williams before he ‘disappeared’ under mysterious circumstances.
I don’t want to give away the whole story but can easily recommend this book as and entertaining read.

Camino Winds – John Grisham

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Camino Winds (Camino Island, #2)

John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Nov 08, 2022  

As far as I’m concerned, this novel doesn’t live up to Grisham standards. It was a slow starter and not what I’d call a page turner. But if you’re looking for a book that you can pick up and put down every other day or so, Camino Winds is a decent story.


The plot tries to accelerate and get you to the conclusion quickly but falls short and is more of a police procedural, with average citizens taking on investigative rolls, while trying to solve their friend’s murder.


The story combines the fury of a level 4 hurricane with the curiosity of a local group of authors and a book store owner. Use your imagination to fill in the blanks.