Tag: Book Reviews

Quicksand – Murder Unresolved

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My latest Norm Strom Crime novel has just been released – available in eBook on Amazon NOW. The release in paperback there and on your other favorite book site is coming soon.

Quicksand is a fictional story of an unsolved local murder that occurred in a quiet lakefront village where Norm Strom resided before moving back to Windsor, Ontario. Annie Gladstone is run down in broad daylight by a hit and run driver who is never identified or arrested.

One of Strom’s co-workers, a fellow cop, was dating Annie and is questioned about the incident. Her estranged ex-husband quickly becomes a person of interest and later the main suspect. An arrest is made several years later and the Gladstone family relives the entire event in court.

The case is still open and the murder remains unresolved to this day.

Monster – Jonathan Kellerman

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Version 1.0.0

Jonathan Kellerman Set (Monster, The Web, When The Bough Breaks)
by Jonathan Kellerman

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Aug 18, 2024  

This novel is a slow-starter and a bit of a yawner…taking over 300 pages before Detective Milos Sturgis and Dr. Alex Delaware latch on to what seems like a viable lead.
As usual with this pair, there is way to much speculating and theorizing between them while trying to piece together murder details and possible suspects.
I’m also not a fan of excessive fluff…long-winded descriptions of every person and place in the story.
But the plot is a decent one that starts with one gruesome murder, then two, and what later becomes a trail of bodies left behind by a sadistic serial killer.
Not Kellerman’s best in my opinion, Monster is worth the read but I wouldn’t rush to put in on the top of your reading list.

On Dangerous Ground – Jack Higgins

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On Dangerous Ground (Sean Dillon #3)
by Jack Higgins

Edmond Gagnon‘s review, Jul 05, 2024  

I like Jack Higgins writing style and enjoyed this story but have tired of characters like Sean Dillon, the spy or ex-soldier of some type with all the special skills necessary to save the world.
At least this tale is of a different sort, tying past with present, while trying to locate a lost artifact that could change the political fate of at least one country, let alone the financial interests of other countries and criminal enterprises as well.
There’s enough action to keep readers turning pages, and although I felt they were predictable, a few plot twists made the story more interesting.

The Dark Hours – Michael Connelly

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The Dark Hours (Renée Ballard, #4; Harry Bosch, #23; Harry Bosch Universe, #36) by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Feb 09, 2024 

I gave this book four stars but I feel it was only worth 3.5.
There is nothing wrong with the story and perhaps I was less impressed because the protagonist was mostly Renee Ballard, not my favorite Connelly character.
Technically, it’s a Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch novel but the latter only makes a limited appearance later in the story as the female detective’s backup.
In The Dark Hours, Ballard juggles two cases, murder and rape, but struggles with everyone else in the “new L.A.P.D.” to get the job done. Of course, she can always count on retired Detective Harry Bosch for help.
The story picks up pace as Ballard bounces between the two cases, and then races to the finish line to wrap up all the bad guys in messy finale.

The Forgotten – David Baldacci

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The Forgotten (John Puller, #2)
by 

David Baldacci (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Jan 25, 2024 

I like Baldacci’s style and his character John Puller, in my opinion his version of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. Both men have military experience and the same moral compass when it comes to helping people and doing what’s right.
The Forgotten has become an all-to-familiar tale of human trafficking at it’s worst. In this case it’s the rich getter richer by stealing the poor from their homes, threatening their families, and selling them off as slaves.
That’s the story in a nutshell but there’s lots of intrigue and action, John Puller style.
The Forgotten is a good read.

The Gods of Guilt – Michael Connelly

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The Gods of Guilt (The Lincoln Lawyer, #5; Harry Bosch Universe, #25)
by Michael Connelly (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jan 16, 2024 

Michael Connelly has become my favorite author, mostly for his Harry Bosch series but I do like the Lincoln Lawyer series as well. Especially when there are little crossovers between the two protagonists who are half brothers.
Like some of the best lawyers I know personally, Michael Haller is not perfect and has his own life issues to handle while he does his best to represent his clients, guilty or not.
Although mostly predictable, The Gods of Guilt is jam-packed with courtroom action and a few little surprises that Haller pulls out of his magic hat.
This story didn’t knock my socks off but was a very good read.

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