A Deadly Promise (A Dr. Margaret Demery Book) by Paula Harmon; Brilliant Protagonist Outshines Convoluted Plot

 

A Deadly Promise (A Dr. Margaret Demery Book) by Paula Harmon; Brilliant Protagonist Outshines Convoluted Plot

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Sometimes the plot is the best part of a mystery. Sometimes it's the murder victim, the suspect, or even the murderer. Other times, such as in the case with A Deadly Promise, a volume in Paula Harmon’s Dr. Margaret Demery series, it's the lead protagonist. In fact, the protagonist in this book is such a memorable character that she is easily the best part of an at times confusing and convoluted mystery.

In 1914, Amos Chalkley, a young man, dies shortly after pathologist Dr. Margaret Demery gives him directions to the War Office. It seems to be a robbery gone wrong, but Margaret doesn't think so especially after another man, Luther Byrd, dies close by in a similar manner. They both have similar symptoms of some unknown contagion. Margaret and her husband, intelligence operative, Inspector Fox Foxcroft investigate while there is talk of rebellion in Ireland and predictions of a great world war especially after Astro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie are assassinated.

Let's start with the good stuff. Dr. Margaret Demery is the type of independent strong willed female detective that occurs often in Historical Mysteries and with good reason. Not only are they often excellent detectives with adept observation skills, empathetic understanding of the people involved, and plucky persistent spirits that pursue justice to the end, but Readers get to see what life was like for women of that era.

 In many times, women were suppressed, marginalized, either treated as fragile objects or constant workhorses, and raised to be wives and mothers and that's it. These protagonists often counter these assumptions. Some have careers of their own or are independently wealthy. Even if they take traditional paths and don't earn a living as investigators, they are able to use those skills as amateurs. The approach that these authors take are often intentionally subversive, even Feminist, in how their protagonists are written.

That is especially noticeable with Dr. Margaret Demery. She is a respected pathologist in a time period when female doctors existed but were still held under intense scrutiny and suspicion. Pathology was not looked upon as a suitable field for women as it was believed that women were too fragile and vulnerable to look at and investigate a dead body but Margaret shows that she has the stomach for it. She also works with living patients as well and uses her studies in respiratory illnesses to deduce short and long term complications.

The book explores the rampant misogyny and sexism that is not only personally experienced by Margaret herself but by other women. One of the most intense chapters involves a suffrage march which quickly becomes violent. Even before the violence occurs, the marchers are insulted and mocked by men in the crowd. Some women say that they sneaked out or had to get their husband's permission to march. Even though Margaret is happily married to a man who is empathetic to their cause, her husband, Fox reads her the riot act for being involved in a potentially dangerous situation. His concern is duly noted but he can't resist infantilizing his wife and chastising her like a child incapable of her own agency.

A very important lead that occurs in the book is the institutionalization of Iris Byrd, the wife of Luther one of the murder victims. She was institutionalized by her husband before his death after a domestic dispute. It shows that many people in that time period could have someone committed to a mental hospital for the flimsiest reasons including arguing with family members. Some men, like Luther, and we later learn another character, did this to wives and female relatives as a display of dominance if they felt that they stepped out of line or defied authority. This is the kind of world which Margaret has to navigate through to learn the killer’s identity.

When the book focuses on Margaret's individual investigation in the central murders, the book succeeds. However, it falters when combining it with the larger international picture. There are various characters and situations thrown in that represent different topics of the time such as the Irish Rebellion and WWI, some of which only have a peripheral involvement in the actual murders. There is the reappearance of a former enemy of Fox’s whose involvement with this plot only makes things more confusing. Then there are the obligatory red herrings, false leads, and betrayals which only hinder the investigation and it becomes hard to remember who is who, what their motives were, and what they had to do with the central mystery. 

It seems as though Harmon had too many ideas for this volume. Instead of focusing on one specific plot angle, she threw them all in. The results are an overwhelming Mystery which contains far too many subjects to create a streamlined focused mystery. 

Sometimes that's a good approach to focus on both the political and personal struggles particularly in an important historical time period like the days before WWI, but they need to be evenly balanced instead of thrown together. It needs to deliver a case where this point and that point lead to a specific conclusion rather than create a situation where it is hard to remember who is who. 

A Deadly Promise is not a terrible historical mystery so much as one with great potential especially with its lead character. Margaret is definitely the brightest spot in this book that needs more focus.

Keep On Glowing Your Guide to Graceful Empowerment and Unstoppable Glow by Robin Emtage; The Belgian Girls by Kathryn Atwood; Mission: Red Scythe by C.W. James

Keep On Glowing Your Guide to Graceful Empowerment and Unstoppable Glow by Robin Emtage; The Belgian Girls by Kathryn Atwood; Mission: Red Scythe by C.W. James

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Keep On Glowing: Your Guide to Graceful Empowerment and Unstoppable Glow by Robin Emtage 

 Every woman has a fire, power source, inside that is forged by resilience, wisdom, and unstoppable feminine force. Some call this fire a glow. All women have it but not all are aware of it or use it to its fullest potential. Sometimes it fades over time or is buried under years, sometimes decades, of conditioning. It can dim and fade away into nothingness if not nurtured and cared for. Robin Emtage, beauty stylist, holistic glow expert, and founder of Silktage Tropical Inspired Beauty Products, wrote Keep On Glowing: Your Guide to Graceful Empowerment and Unstoppable Glow to help inspire women to discover and retain that glow throughout their lives.

Emtage’s Keep on Glowing Method consists of five pillars: Radiant Mindset, Sacred Self Care, Glow Rituals, Protective Boundaries, and Unapologetic Expression. Emtage describes this method as one that is designed to help readers return to themselves with grace, confidence, and an unstoppable glow.

Each chapter focuses on different concepts like creating a bold mindset for lasting radiance, practicing self-compassion for inner glow, gaining confidence and beauty that blossoms with age, reclaiming inner power, protecting glow in relationships, giving permission to shine, glowing forward and inspire, aging with intention and conscious glowing, using age-defying rituals, crafting a glow that lasts, building momentum through small deadly wins,practicing the art of saying no and creating boundaries, reimagining radiance and recognizing beauty beyond the mirror, building the life that you deserve, designing a life that radiates inside and out, and glowing forward. 

The book features advice and wisdom that is clearly explained with encouraging words. For example “Chapter 2: Be Your Own Best Friend: Self-Compassion for Inner Glow,” has words about “The Foundation of Self-Compassion, “The Glow Killing Inner Critic,” and “The Glow Boosting Power of Self-Talk.” “The Power of Self-Talk” section suggests ways of verbally turning negative self-criticism into positive and encouraging affirmations. For example, instead of saying, “I’m bad at this,” Emtage suggests changing the limiting sentence to “I’m learning and every step makes me better.”

Activities inspire readers to list their concerns, ways that can be improved, and identifying positive attributes. For example “Chapter 3: Embrace Your Radiance: Confidence and Beauty That Blossoms With Age”, includes various rituals, writing exercises, and actions that help guide the inner glow to shine. For example “Radiate Gratitude: Unleashing the Glow of Appreciation”, suggests that readers write down one thing that they like about themselves to remind them that they are worthy of admiration and respect especially from themselves. 

The chapters also include Glow Actions and Affirmations as final takeaways to preserve the inner glow. “Chapter 4: Reclaim Your Feminine Power: Unlocking Your True Glow” includes a Glow Action of writing a letter to oneself declaring a commitment to living fully in their power. They are encouraged to reveal what they will no longer tolerate, what they will say yes to, and to read the letter whenever they feel their light dimming. The Glow Affirmation for this chapter is “I reclaim my glow with every choice, every boundary, and every act of self-love.” 

The Belgian Girls by Kathryn J. Atwood

This is a summary of the review. The full reviews can be found on LitPick.

The Belgian Girls tells two stories. It combines the adventures of two women, a real life figure and a fictional character from the two different World Wars, to tell an intergenerational story of courage, sacrifice, freedom, heroism, and rebellion against oppression. 

The first chronological one is the true story of Gabrielle “Gaby” Petit, a barmaid in pre-WWI Belgium. Infuriated by the presence of German soldiers in her country, she organizes a spy network to pass information and defeat her country’s enemies. The second story, the fictionalized account, is that of Julienne Gobert, newly arrived in Brussels with her widowed father. She hears the story of Gaby Petit and is inspired to also become a spy and Resistance fighter against the Nazis as they devour the country around her. 

The stories perfectly merge together with characters, plot threads, and situations that link the two together. For example both protagonists were recently hit with trauma even before their involvement with the war efforts.The traumas leave these young women feeling unprotected in a changing world that is becoming more complicated but also tests their resilience, independence, and willingness to challenge their surroundings. 

The dual narration of the book shows how important it is to look to the past and learn how to live during tough times. Those tough times bring out the best in both women. Gabrielle, who lived a hard existence, learns to empathize with others and fight for her country. Julienne is pulled from her previous mousy timid nature and is moved by Gaby’s story. She becomes bolder and more courageous during times of danger. Both women are willing to fight and die if they have to.

The stories of Gabrielle Petit and Julienne Gobert remind us that one of the best ways to survive tough times of war, violence, tyranny, death, oppression, and poverty is to look to the past and how others lived during them, adapted to their surroundings, fought against them, and became heroes. Perhaps in doing so they can become heroes in the present.

Mission: Red Scythe (A James Vagus Thriller) by C.W. James

This is a summary of the review. The full review is on LitPick.

This book combines the flashy colorful adventures of a Ian Fleming James Bond novel with the duplicitous realistic tension of a John LeCarre novel.

In 1965, orphaned James Vagus is given an interesting offer. John Smith represents MIS-X the mysterious benefactor of James’ education. Smith notes James’ youth, good looks, amiable but reserved personality, and affinity for languages. MIS-X is looking for young recruits to go to places where the youth hang out like concerts, colleges, and class trips and gather information unobtrusively. In other words they are looking for teen spies. James is the perfect potential spy. He accepts the proposal, is given a partner Dakota Walker, and receives his first major assignment. He is to trail Otto Stradt, a corrupt businessman with ties to Eastern Europe. This assignment leads James and Dakota straight to a conspiracy involving scientists studying the potential of killer biology and the governments who will pay top dollar for such research. 

 James and Dakota are spies with all of the gorgeous locations, beautiful people, and cool toys and gadgets but also have an awareness that the governments that one works for can’t always be trusted, that agents can be quickly betrayed, and murder is never far away.

There is a seedy underside to this seemingly glamorous world, a seedy underside that young adults in their late teens and whose brains haven’t been fully developed are being thrown into. 

There is a constant awareness of death and betrayal that surrounds the characters. Even the characters that are on each other’s side may not be completely trustworthy as these young characters are encouraged to do everything they can lie, steal, have affairs, break laws, and murder to please their country and allies. There are moments that if the characters don’t expect betrayal from the presumed good guys, the reader might.

The only real true honest bond is that between James and Dakota. There are moments when one is captured, the other is willing to go through extremes to rescue them even if they risk blowing their cover. In this world of dishonesty, corruption, secrets, and murder the most honest moment is when the two partners acknowledge not only their friendship but also their brotherhood.

Cease to Exist (The Richard O'Brien Series Book 2) by Ian Rodney Lazarus; Brilliant Treacherous Duo and Transition Theme Steal Complex Plot About Genetic Engineering and Warring Countries

 Cease to Exist (The Richard O'Brien Series Book 2) by Ian Rodney Lazarus; Brilliant Treacherous Duo and Transition Theme Steal Complex Plot About Genetic Engineering and Warring Countries

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: I'm beginning to sense a pattern in the Richard O'Brien books so far. While O’Brien is himself a compelling protagonist with his shaky love life, his brilliance combined with physical toughness, and his morally gray philosophical look at life, it's the antagonists who are some of the more captivating and stimulating parts of the books.

In the previous book, Con and Consequence, the genius con artist turned terrorist, Jelani captured Reader's interests with Jelani's arrogance at pulling a con job with many victims and his panic when he learned about his new organization's true goals and motives. His inscrutable handler, The Professor, also fascinated with their deceptive plays on all sides and the mystery of their real identity and loyalties.

The next book in Ian Rodney Lazarus’s stirring Political Thriller series, Cease to Exist gives us another pair of intriguing antagonists. The first is Emma Lee, a Chinese emigre who steals CRISPR samples from her work lab and also spies for various governments particularly China, North Korea, and the United States.

 The other is Dennis Spence, secretive founder of the nonprofit Center for New Beginnings, a rehab center/mental hospital with a dubious reputation. He is also a trans male and recipient of the CRISPR samples that his partner, Emma stole. 

Meanwhile, Richard O'Brien became an FBI special agent after he was removed from his former position as a linguist and translator. Reports of missing people with connections to The Center of New Beginnings puts Richard on the case and right in Emma and Dennis's path. The stolen CRISPR samples, missing people, and Emma, Dennis, and Richard’s exploits are revealed to be parts of larger stakes from bigger governments who have wider motives and uses for genetic engineering technology.

Similar to Con and Consequence, Cease to Exist shows the threads beginning with the sample theft and the missing persons cases. Then these threads grow larger and become more tangled with international plots in which the wealthy and powerful world leaders cause long term complications for their own personal gain. 

The strongest theme in this volume is transition. Everyone is transitioning from one life to another. Their lives, jobs, roles, personalities, ideologies, and gender identities are in flux and require great thought, skill, patience, persistence, and acceptance. Once the book ends, it becomes clear that nobody is the same person that they were in the early chapters or the previous volume.

Richard goes from being a bright academic and translator to an active field agent. His first few chapters focus on his training and the lessons, such as memorizing code words while in captivity, become useful during his assignment. He becomes less cerebral and an outsider and more active and aggressive while on the inside. 

His love life also goes through a change. In the previous volume, he was written as a callous womanizer with a long term girlfriend who took her own life. He ended the last book in a relationship with Special Agent Sarah Goodman. In this volume, he is involved with Sarah and while he strays or thinks of other women, he feels guilt for it and does everything that he can to patch things up with Sarah. While there are still problems in his personal life, Richard is veering towards taking things to another level and maturing.

He also has to play many parts while undercover. Once he impersonates a kidnap victim during an international prison exchange. One of the darkest creepiest sections occurs when he is institutionalized for a time after investigating a lead at The Center for New Beginnings. The gaslighting from Dennis and his staff is so effective that Richard doubts whether he really is an FBI agent or it was just a delusion. 

Emma is another character who goes through many changes. One of the most interesting aspects to her character is her chameleon like way of adapting and changing herself to fit how others see her. While working in the genetic engineering, she takes on the role of an amusing geeky girl who watches Science Fiction films like Jurassic Park with her colleagues. She becomes a loyal and devoted friend and lover to Dennis even willing to break the law for him. In front of her handlers, she is cold blooded and methodical. 

One of her most intriguing changes occurs later in the book when she acts as a honey trap in a game of seduction. She is dressed in a sexy gown, speaks in double entendre, and draws her target in with her allure and charisma. It's hard to believe that she is the same nerd applauding Jeff Goldblum’s speeches in Jurassic Park before stealing CRISPR samples but it shows her versatility and transformation in becoming the person others want to see in her.

Emma has a lot of layers that Lazarus expertly writes so it's hard to tell who the real Emma Lee is. After all, if she plays so many roles, how do we know where the real Emma begins and ends or if a real Emma exists at all.

Naturally, the biggest change occurs within Dennis Spence. Lazarus goes to great lengths to show us Dennis's background of abuse that he endured during his early years of his assigned female gender at birth when he lived under the name of Denise. It was a violent abusive past that Dennis had to run from. Despite being an antagonist, Lazarus writes Dennis with a lot of care so we can see a multifaceted person with a backstory that created the person that he became.

 It's clear that Dennis has been hurt and chose to return that hurt to others. He sees the world as shallow and empty and people as mere playthings that can do whatever he wants. Similar to The Professor, he hides his true intentions and alliances. But unlike his predecessor who has the luxury of anonymity, Dennis hides his real nature and past behind a public philanthropic famous persona. He keeps up appearances while hiding a knife that will stab anyone who interferes.

There are other transformations which play into the plot and these changes affect the wider goals of government officials who want to perform their own transitions. They want to change the world around them so only they can benefit and others are destroyed. That's a transition which benefits no one. There are no winners, only dictators and those that they crush until they themselves are crushed by those who have had enough.

Con and Consequence by Ian Rodney Lazarus; A Simple Cybercrime Leads To Bigger Terrorism

 

Con and Consequence  by Ian Rodney Lazarus; A Simple Cybercrime Leads To Bigger Terrorism 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Who would have thought that a simple cybercrime/con job would lead to a terrorist attack that will create generations of hardship and war between Palestine and Israel?

That is the premise that faces various characters in several countries and two continents in Ian Rodney Lazarus’s Con and Consequence, a suspenseful, tightly plotted, but wide spread Thriller.

The eponymous con artist is Jelani, a Somali genius who is using his vast intellect to create fake crowdfunding sites to draw in potential investors while operating as a ghost on the Web. Not exactly legit but cunning, non violent, and gives him and his family some much needed money. However, this scheme reaches Muhammad Amir Abbas who recruits Jelani to join his organization which has a plan for much deadlier consequences and to stick it to various enemies notably the United States and Israel. 

Meanwhile, Richard O'Brien, a linguist for the FBI intercepts a message that hints at a major terrorist attack in three days time. This investigation soon involves various terrorist organizations, the FBI, CIA, Mossad, the US, Palestinian, and Israeli governments, the Muslim population of Dearborn, Michigan, and O’Brien’s college age brother and girlfriend.

Lazarus does an excellent job of taking all of these various characters, settings, and plot points and tying them neatly together to make a comprehensible and perspicuous plot. The action starts small but leads to widespread complications that can lead to long term consequences for years and even decades afterwards.

This book focuses on various characters but the most interesting are three: O’Brien, Jelani, and an enigmatic character named The Professor who will be mentioned later. They form a triangle that takes the Reader through the various angles in the narrative and personalizes them. 

O’Brien is an anti-hero made for this type of story. Though he works with the FBI, he is himself not an agent so his pursuits are a more scholarly and communicative nature. This particular case puts him up front and center doing the leg work that his colleagues do. 

O’Brien has a very close Irish Catholic family with whom he loves but comes to disagree with, particularly about his job which causes his parents to worry. He is also tight with his brother, Myles who is a well meaning but immature goofball who accidentally stumbles upon the case himself. What starts out to be a funny and contrived coincidence becomes darker as Myles gets closer to his brother's career than he more than likely intended. 

O’Brien’s romantic history is held under scrutiny. He ignores the calls of a former girlfriend until realizing too heartbreakingly late why she called. This subplot and another in which he has a flirtation with a female agent show him as the type of man who is inept in his personal life but adept at his work. His personal life is one of failed relationships and few close connections outside of his immediate family so he devotes his time to his job. He embraces the adrenaline thrills and larger picture of preserving democracy because that's all that he has.

 It's a chaotic existence but it's one that O’Brien can use his linguistic skills and intellect to play an important part to the world at large. It's hard to focus on a personal life with romance, relationships, and daily tasks when one is constantly aware that  terrorist organizations are plotting to commit major fatalities half a world away.

Jelani represents those who join such organizations and live lives of crime. For Jelani, it's a matter of having a lot of brain, feeling like an outsider and not having much money or opportunity. We learn that Jelani has a high IQ and was recently diagnosed with being on the Autism spectrum. Since his diagnosis was as an adult and he doesn't have access to many resources that help him, he has many of the disorder’s symptoms such as memorization, intense fixations on his favorite subjects, discomfort in public places, and sensitivity to sensory triggers. 

Jelani has difficulties functioning, is arrogant about his abilities, lives in abject poverty, and is susceptible to suggestion. Of course he's the perfect target for those who are looking for angry, arrogant, young people with axes to grind, simmering hatred for their situation, and are ready to commit desperate acts for it. 

However, Jelani seriously underestimates the situation that he is in. His fatal flaw is arrogance. He thinks that because he has this online scheme and a genius level IQ, he is ahead of everyone else but he fails to realize that when his superiors are fighting a war in which fatalities, terror, carnage, assault, and violence are to be expected, no one cares about his money making scheme. In fact, compared to their activities, his con job is the equivalent of a Yorkie puppy nipping at the heels of a wolf pack trying to prove that he can be the alpha head. 

To Jelani’s credit, once he becomes aware of the full implication of his new organization’s  crimes, he does what he can to separate himself from them. Hey, he may rob people of their money but he still has a conscience. He might be a genius in academics but an idiot in common sense but he has some standards. One of them is not countless violence towards random citizens to make a point that will only get worse because of the escalation of said violence. 

By far the most interesting enigmatic character is someone called The Professor. Not too much can be revealed in the review because of spoilers. Let's just say they are a cypher, someone who excels in hiding in the shadows.

They have a variety of pseudonyms and identities that are used periodically throughout the book, so characters and Readers are uncertain where The Professor’s real standards and allegiances lie. In one chapter, The Professor guides Jelani. In another, they work as a Mossad spy. You go through the book thinking one thing about them, then turn around and think something else. Then the final pages reveal a final twist that could either clarify or further muddy The Professor's personal truth. 

In fact the final reveal causes the Reader to look at the character and their actions differently. It also causes one to question the extremity of their motives and the means to achieve them. It makes one wonder if they were really sincere in committing their actions for their country or people or just for themselves. When a person manipulates that many people on various sides, and intentionally causes more destruction, do their real motives matter? 

Con and Consequence may start as a simple con job but ultimately that job like any other action eventually has consequences.

The Gift Book 2 of The Others Trilogy by Evette Davis, The Mantis Equilibrium (Book 2 in The Mantis Gland Series) by Adam Andrews Johnson, Folded Steel (Book 3 of The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series) by G. Russell Gaynor

The Gift (Book 2 of The Others Trilogy) by Evette Davis 

This is a condensed review. The longer one is on LitPick’s site.

The Gift is the second book in The Others Trilogy. It greatly expands on the concept of a secret society of people with magical paranormal abilities including Witches, Shifters, Fairies, Vampires, by taking place in a new setting and introducing new characters. However, it also relies on some cliches like a love triangle to unnecessarily enhance the plot.

Former political activist and half-Witch, Olivia Sheppard travels to Europe after a family emergency. She travels with her companions Gabriel, her Witch father, Elsa, her Time Walker Spirit Guide, Lily, her Fairy best friend, William, her Vampire boyfriend, and Josef, William’s Vampire friend. Olivia and company also have to face Nikolas, a powerful charismatic thousand year old Vampire who uses any means to lead the Council of Others, including murdering Humans and Others who oppose him. The investigation into Nikolas’ plans and actions put Olivia and Josef closer together and Olivia has to reconcile her love for William, her long term boyfriend and growing affection for Josef who has unrealistic feelings for her.

The Gift goes global and takes the characters to Europe. The change in setting puts them, especially Olivia, at a disadvantage since they are on Nikolas’ turf and are playing by his rules. 

The setting is one of glamor and Old World intrigue. Olivia and her friends visit various Medieval style villages and castles so the architecture calls to mind Gothic stories and legends and reveals the wealth and power many of the Others have. Nikolas isn't too far off from a James Bond villain, a character who compliments his adversary while using his vast wealth and power to do away with them.

There are some interesting new characters and plot twists that keep the series fresh and make the Readers look forward to the next volume. Nadia is a Tarot Card Reader and Clairvoyant whose predictions have a way of coming true that disturbs Olivia and in one key moment, Nikolas. 

The returning characters also go through a lot of development. A personal loss devastates Olivia causing her to question her decisions and current path. However, she finds her strength in taking charge of some unfinished business and pursuing Nikolas.

Both Gabriel and Josef reveal some dark secrets about their pasts, showing themselves as men who suffered great loss and heartache in their long histories. 

There are many things that work well but one that doesn't and that is the love triangle between William, Josef, and Olivia. There are some interesting parts such as Josef expressing his affection for Olivia and her acknowledging that she is not exactly appalled by his confession. It adds an interesting wrinkle but love triangles are so overdone.

For a series that has a unique concept of a thriving society of paranormal creatures and their interactions with the Human world and explores the precarious inner workings of this world, a love triangle is boring, ordinary, and ironically lacks the magic and mystery of the rest of the book.

The Mantis Equilibrium Book 2 of The Mantis Gland Series by Adam Andrews Johnson 

Spoilers: This review will mention the death of a character from the previous volume so I will reiterate and say that there are MAJOR HEAVY DUTY SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The last time that we entered the world of Adam Andrews Johnson’s The Mantis Variant, the Messiah’s, a powerful cult residing in futuristic Teshon City participated in gruesome rituals in which they mutilated the bodies of Shifts, people with special abilities so they can absorb the glands that give those abilities. Agrell, a Messiah with a hidden Shift ability goes on the run and meets Ilya, a Shift with the power of flight and Dozi, a street smart thief who wants to be a Demifae, a mystic with special powers by study not birth. The trio hide out with a kindly couple, Mystic, a Demifae and Theolon, his husband. They reunite the couple with Lahari, their missing daughter while the Messiahs declare war on the Shifts.

In the sequel, The Mantis Equilibrium, things get darker, more sinister, and potentially more dangerous for the characters. It certainly anchors the series with a stronger sense of purpose for what the characters are going through and the changes that are affecting the world around them. 

A year has gone by and the protagonists are mourning the death of Agrell who died in the previous volume sacrificing herself for her new friends. They have accepted each other and new member, Tchama as a surrogate family. They journey outside of Teshon City where Dozi has a very uncomfortable reunion with her family. They also meet Ninyani, a Shift with the ability of creating fire and ice. Meanwhile, Vion, a Messiah, goes on the hunt for Shifts after he finds the murdered bodies of his colleagues. Also a trio of Shifts, Gawa, Eroli, and S’Kay, have a more violent and destructive goal in mind for the Messiahs.

The Mantis Equilibrium balances the expected darker stake-raising that occurs so often in second volumes while doing interesting things in terms of character and plot that make it fresh and unique in its own right.

I will get one personal issue out of the way. I miss Agrell. She was my favorite character in the first volume. Her story of Messiah turned rebel was the most fascinating. She greatly developed from someone who had much to hide to someone who loves, and as we found out would willingly die for her new friends. Her loss is not only felt by the characters but this Reader as well. 

Unfortunately, Agrell's loss is more felt because of Tchama’s presence. There isn't as much to make her stand out as an individual the way that her predecessor did. She seems to exist solely to make sure that the main protagonists remain a trio. In fact, Tchama is so indistinct as a character that Johnson could have just as easily had Agrell remain for one more volume before killing her off. In fact, he missed a golden opportunity to have conflict and backstory between Agrell and Vion, a current Messiah who still is a devotee. But Agrell's absence is a minor personal issue in a volume that is otherwise excellent.

One of the most interesting aspects is the presence of Ninyani. He lived in a rural village that was isolated from the rest of the world so his powers are looked at very differently from the other Shifts. His mother believes that they are divinely inspired and this could be an opportunity to replace the Elder God of their village, a Shift who uses his powers to establish his own cult to worship him. Unfortunately, Ninyani's mother’s plans go awry when the boy accidentally causes a disaster that kills everyone in the village including the Elder God and his mother leaving him the sole survivor. 

Ninyani's backstory introduces some interesting concepts in this book. One of them is how similar things can happen to people but because of cultural or regional differences, they might be seen in various ways. Ninyani is unaware of the prejudice against the Shifts or even that there are people like him until he meets Ilya and she introduces him to the others. He is from a spiritual background that doesn't know about glands or genetic mutations, the way characters do. Since his village can't explain it, they attribute it to divine intervention. It's quite an awakening and a bit of spiritual conflict when he learns of the truth. Though in his defense, he never really thought of himself as a god. His mother did, in an attempt to overthrow the previous one. He went along with it for her sake. “New God” was not a label that he was comfortable having so he doesn't mind when it is removed.

The other concept is that the destruction of Ninyani’s village can show what happens when those Shift abilities are misused. Even if they happen in a bout of thoughtless emotion, like it did with him, much damage can occur. This is why it is A) dangerous for one to absorb so many like with the Messiahs and B) why it is so important to learn to channel them and use restraint as the Mystic trains Ninyani to do. 

Vion also is an interesting figure in this volume because he is a contrast to the previous Messiah, Agrell like I said. She left the cult after finding out their true intent. Vion not only accepts the slaughter of Shifts, he is ruthless in implementing it. He is the dogmatic cult member who follows the doctrine to the letter. He would rather continue down the path no matter how bloody than admit that he was wrong about it. With so much conversation and debate about cult followings sometimes involving the surrender of one's free will and morals, this subplot is surprisingly relevant.

Vion is an unrepentant bigot and rigid dogmatist especially towards Shifts. However, there is a very curious moment in which something bizarre happens to him and his fellow Messiahs. He attributes it to the Shifts that they are following but it is purposely left ambiguous whether this strange event was caused by the Shifts or by Vion himself. Is it entirely possible that the Shift Hater is himself a Shift? If so, would he go the way of Agrell and rebel or repress his true nature underneath the veneer of hatred and authoritarianism?

The recurring characters have some fascinating things happen to them, most notably Dozi and fellow returnee, Auntie Peg. Dozi’s reunion with her biological family starts out well but becomes awkward and fierce once they learn about her Shift friends. Their ultimatum and Dozi’s decision to stand by her friends shows a strength of character.

Auntie Peg was a supporting character in the previous book. Here, she comes into her own as we learn about her backstory and why she lives her life the way that she does. She also serves as a warm maternal mentor to the others and leads many of the Shifts on the path to a civil resistance.

There are some interesting threads that could lead to potential story arcs. Gawa, Eroli, and S’Kay’s subplot is not fully realized or more than likely has not yet reached its full potential as though they have a much larger role to play in the events to come. Ilya goes through a chilling transformation with potential long term complications and might blur the lines between enemy and ally in future installments. It certainly leaves Readers hanging.

Folded Steel (Book 3 of The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series) by G Russell Gaynor 

Let's see in the first volume of The Forge Trilogy, The Blind Smith, we were introduced to John James Moore, AKA Augur who was blinded in an assassination attempt and is recruited by an organization of spies and assassins. He then is betrayed and plans revenge on his one-time recruiters and allies. In the second volume, Muted Rage, John recruited his team most notably, Sonya Bocharova, a deaf Russian woman, and weighed and analyzed their strengths and weaknesses. Let's see we have the leader, we have the team, what next? Why it's time for the missions of course. In this third, volume, Folded Steel , it's time for the team to organize and take action against their enemies.

This plot isn't quite as straightforward as the previous volumes. It's a series of gambits between John’s team and the organization fronted by Bob, John’s former recruiter/mentor turned betrayer and arch-enemy. Along the way characters fall in love, question their loyalty, play various sides, and conspire against their enemies and sometimes their allies. Meanwhile other characters like lovers, Thomas and Jessilae are thrown violently into the fray.

Sometimes things get incredibly confusing with the cunning schemes and action-centered nail hanging chapters. It also doesn't always help as characters alternate being called by their real and code names. It can be difficult to say who is involved in what, what the goals are, whether they succeed, and who they are successful for. It keeps the Reader’s suspense and interest, but it is bad when trying to summarize and keep track of it all (even worse when adding the first two volumes).

However, there are some great moments. Unlike many similar novels, John and Sonya do not become lovers. They are just allies and partners, close to friends as the often cynical John will allow. They do however become paired with other characters. Sonya and her lover have a touching moment amid the tension and violence of their usual lives that allows them to receive a great release of emotion and humanity no matter how brief. Meanwhile, John’s relationship comes to a harsh end that can be expected in a world when lives are on the line and loyalties can be and often are for sale. 

Jessilae and Thomas’s subplot alternates between humor and heartache as they are confused and out of their depths,  the way most normies that are suddenly thrust into such a situation would act. They can't tell friend from foe, ally from enemy, and do not find it easy to trust anyone. On the outside looking in, they, especially Jessilae, can see that the two sides aren't really that different and that it was just circumstance over which side they ended up with. 

By far one of the strongest moments is a one on one confrontation between John and Bob. Both insufferable geniuses, they don't use weapons but they use words. The one time allies show mutual respect for one another, even admiring their tenacity, perseverance, and iconoclastic creative thinking. In another life, they might have had a father and son relationship. But in their case, respect gives way into treachery and distrust. In a way, their conflicts arise because they are too much alike. They are both brilliant men who are dogmatic in their views and have a serious addiction to being the smartest and best in the room. They were bound to be on opposite sides and are bound to fight until one is victorious and the other is completely annihilated and/or preferably dead.

John’s pursuits has left him with a small group of allies, but they have earned his trust and he theirs. Once a rich kid and tech guru, he has to live a clandestine life of revenge, secrets, and violence but thankfully because of his alliances and his new team, he doesn't have to do it alone.

Shadow Runner (Shadow Series)by K.J. Fieler; What Victorians Do in The Shadows

 

Shadow Runner (Shadow Series)by K.J. Fieler; What Victorians Do in The Shadows 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: K.J. Fieler’s Shadow Runner novel uses shadows as a frequent motif. Characters appear and disappear into shadows. Mentors hide their true selves from students. People discover hidden secrets about Victorian London's elite. Everything and everybody is concealed by some veil of secrecy, hiding who they are, and showing their dark sides, their shadow selves.

Ada is from a wealthy upper class Victorian home who was once spoiled and coddled and now no longer is either one. Her mother died in childbirth along with her newborn baby brother. Her father, once loving and wise, has now withdrawn into himself and avoids her entirely. Besides grief, Ada is tormented by strange clouds and creatures that come in and out of the shadows at night. She is afraid especially after one of those creatures kidnaps her. It is revealed to be Nadine, a human woman, who exposes some ugly truths about the girl's father. She is part of an organization called The Shadow, a team of thieves, spies, and assassins who are capable of fighting, killing, and turning practically invisible. Finding that she no longer has a home to return to, Ada takes Nadine up on her offer to join the organization and begins a rigorous training where she learns to outfight, outwit, and outlast any opponent and to treat everyone like an enemy including those closest to her.

This book presents a fascinating look at a young girl who has to be stripped down to her barest minimum before she recognizes the hidden strength and adaptability that she needs to survive in the world. Ada starts out as an object of beauty living an ornate existence of opulence and artifice, almost a doll-child made of porcelain in a doll house. If she has questions about marriage, position, social class, her role as a woman in society, and other important issues they are all dismissed, repressed, and just flitted away. 

Ada’s life is summarized as pretty to look at but don’t touch or express any feeling or deep emotional connection.That will cause the entire house to crack, flaw, and break under its fragility. Her family life stands, as did many wealthy homes in the Victorian Age, a monument to propriety, beauty, ennui, and comfortable ignorance. People who will never want for anything because they have everything. 

Ada’s only sense of authenticity is when she plays chess with her father and shows profound intellect and analysis in playing the game. Besides showing her intelligence, her chess games prove useful in her Shadow career. However, at this point, it’s still confined to a game with rules in which one side wins, another loses, and there is no collateral damage. It's also one of the few moments of real bonding between Ada and her father. It is a time to out play and outsmart each other. However, Ada never realizes that she has already lost and her father had a checkmate in a game in which she didn’t even play.

The artificial existence that Ada lives in changes after the deaths of her mother and brother and her kidnapping by Nadine. For the first time, she is swept up in grief, loss, and the reality that comes with them.These emotions overwhelm her because she is so inexperienced with them. She is in torment as her once idyllic seemingly perfect world’s cracks have become more visible. She is a stranger to her father and while she still is close to some of the servants, they are dismissed by him. Ada thought that she had another family. For the servants though, it was just a job, a job that they can walk away from anytime, either by choice or by force. 

Ada realizes that she is invisible in this house, a fact made clear during a bizarre multi page sequence where she actually turns invisible in the presence of the servants. She shows no reaction during it or after things return to normal and she is noticed once again. She has been pampered and petted as a pet or an ornament but is never acknowledged or seen for her true self in any way that mattered. She has been invisible and replaceable her whole life. She just didn’t realize it until now.

 It is no coincidence that Ada joins The Shadows after she finds out some disturbing motives from her father. She is faced with the truth that the opulent surface that she lived in was a complete fabrication, one in which she was exalted only to be knocked down and replaced like a shiny bauble that has lost its value. Once she is shut out from that life, and she feels the despair, anger, and hatred that simmers inside, she is ready for her new life as a Shadow.

Ada’s training as a Shadow is both disturbing and mesmerizing.The Reader wants to simultaneously look away but at the same is drawn to reading what happens to her and how this experience changes her. The training is like the worst kind of bootcamp imagined and to think this is happening to children younger than thirteen, some as young as seven. The trainees are shorn of their hair, deprived of their clothes and made to wear uniforms. Some are given new names and identities. They are trained rigorously in various fighting and defense techniques and frequently challenge one another in fights to the death. They are given limited rations and are often beaten, assaulted, and verbally abused. They are brought to their lowest and most aggressive instincts and are pushed into using them for a means of survival.

The physical training of the Shadow is triggering enough, but the psychological training is also captivating and troubling. Ada and the other Trainees are not only stripped of their identities but any sense of family, friendship, or belonging. They are drilled not to trust anyone, especially not one another or their handlers. They are told things about their families that may or may not be true but certainly puts them in an air of suspicion towards those who they left behind. The trainers intentionally encourage competition and infighting among the recruits so friendship does not form within the Shadows and they see one another as enemies. This even carries over as Shadows ascend within the organization and gain recruits of their own. They then have to use those same techniques on any new trainees continuing the cycle. 

The Shadow’s strongest ally in their battle against the world is the environment that surrounds them. While on assignments, they are either told to wear uniforms or period appropriate clothing to blend in and disappear within a household, sometimes impersonating servants or houseguests. At night, they also wear ghoulish disguises and masks so when they attack, they remain unidentified and can appear to be unreal like an ominous spectre or a figment from a nightmare. Then they disappear just as suddenly as they appear with no one the wiser about where they came from, where they disappeared to, their real names, or in some cases if they ever existed at all.

It is fitting that they call themselves The Shadows, because that is their most prominent weapon. They use shadows to sneak in and out of streets, alleyways, houses, and nature. They conceal themselves as they extract information and kill those whom they are assigned to. They do this to avoid emotional and mental connections with their targets and because they are not within that outside world any longer. They no longer trust it. Instead they are hidden, secret, observing a world in which they are no longer a part of except to take something from it at the behest of someone else. 

Ironically as Ada remains hidden like her colleagues, her true, most honest, most authentic self emerges. Before she was living a shallow existence in a luxuriant shell. She was never honest with herself, always playing the perfect and dutiful daughter as her parents were playing the loving and proper caregivers. As a shadow, she is able to use tremendous strength and agility in fighting opponents. Her chess training allows her to strategize so she can solve problems and find solutions that result in victory. Her literacy and education helps her to visualize possibilities and research pertinent information that prove useful on assignments. As a Shadow, she is able to use skills and knowledge that would not have been possible in her previous life.

Despite all warnings. Ada’s biggest drawback is that she develops a conscience and begins to genuinely care about certain people. As her body and mind develops as a Shadow, so ironically does her heart. She becomes attached to a younger Shadow and while they engage in vicious battles and backstabbing, she withdraws from actually killing her even though she has plenty of opportunities to do so. On an assignment where she poses as a governess for an employer whom she has to steal some documents from, she bonds with the young girl that she teaches, perhaps seeing her younger self or a more assertive version in this child. She stands on the edge of a romance with the girl’s brother until Ada does something unforgivable in the name of her assignment, something that closes her connection to the outside world forever.

The strongest bond that Ada develops oddly enough is with Nadine. Despite subjecting her through physical and psychological stress that tests her endurance and ability, Ada feels a strange emotional bond with her. Call it Stockholm Syndrome. Call it codependency. Call it BDSM. But something develops between the two women that becomes mentor-student, mother-daughter, sister-sister, friend-friend (maybe lover-lover?). It is one in which the two hide much from each other but ultimately reveal the true depths of their love and loyalty. A love and loyalty that far superseded and exceeded the love that Ada and her parents, especially her father, shared.  

In being rejected from the bright and beautiful but dishonest world in which she lived, Ada had to find herself in a world of honesty and authenticity, a world of tough choices and real emotions, a world of courage, stamina, thought, and sacrifice, a world of darkness and of shadows. 

 

But One Life: The Story of Nathan Hale by Samantha Wilcoxson; Interesting Historical Fiction Novel About Nathan Hale Goes Beyond His Final Words

 

But One Life: The Story of Nathan Hale by Samantha Wilcoxson; Interesting Historical Fiction Novel About Nathan Hale Goes Beyond His Final Words

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Probably if it wasn't for Nathan Hale’s final words, we probably wouldn't know much about him at all. Nathan Hale (1755-1776) was a school teacher who took up arms during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence gathering mission in New York City but was caught, exposed, and eventually executed. His final words were, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” These words proved to be an inspiration to many of the Patriots fighting for American independence and are still remembered as one of the most important quotes in American history.

Just as she did with her previous work, Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl, Samantha Wilcoxson's But One Life: The Store of Nathan Hale, brings to life a historical figure who lived during important times. They are written as regular normal people that are caught in dramatic and tragic events that are beyond their scope. They heed the call, rise to the occasion, and make their mark during their time and for the future.

Wilcoxson never loses sight of Hale’s ordinariness. In fact, that is a key part of this book. Most of the plot focuses on his university years and his teaching career. The Revolutionary War does not even kick off until halfway through the book. His time as a spy only features in the last two or three chapters (more on that later). In fact during University, Hale is seen as a tag along kid brother following his elder sibling Enoch around. This earns him the nickname “Secondus” (Second) to Enoch’s “Primus.” 

Hale is someone who stumbles upon the world at large rather than charging headlong into it. At Yale, he and his classmates which include future spymaster, Benjamin Tallmadge are aware of events like the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party but are not involved in them. Mostly they study and debate whether taxation without representation is unjust and whether they are really considered British or American citizens. Like many college students before and since, Hale and his friends become aware of a larger world around them and discover their political and social identities, emphasizing and sometimes annoying everyone else with them. Their early contributions to  American independence consist of knowing that such a thing is possible and identifying as Americans. They probably never thought that the road to independence would become so bloody and violent. 

Hale’s post-University but pre-Revolution career is a series of ups and downs, some of it affected by the changing world and some of it from his own difficulties. His first teaching job in Haddan Landing is such a disaster that he resigns before Christmas and accepts a much better position in New London. His courtship with Betsey Adams is troubled by contrasting ideals and differing future plans. He even becomes more involved with the concepts of liberty and independence instead of just talking about it. He has the radical notion of educating girls as well as boys so they can embrace the enlightened values of freedom and education. He speaks out in support of the Suffolk Resolves, a declaration that rejected the Massachusetts Government Act  and resulted in the boycott of imported goods because of the Intolerable Acts. When the shot is heard around the world at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Hale officially enlists. This decision becomes a deal breaker for Betsey who ends their relationship but it leads Hale directly towards his inevitable destiny. 

Hale’s military service is rich in details about the hardships that soldiers and civilians endured during war time. From the freezing conditions, to frequent illnesses, changing orders, disgruntled enlistees, and of course the threat of violence and death in battle, this approach takes out the mindless propaganda and leaves the realism that is involved in warfare. Hale’s hopes boil down to staying alive and hoping that this fight will be worth it in the end. Maybe his country will have its independence and  Hale might gain some significance. It’s only towards the end that both goals come to fruition but not without Hale making the ultimate sacrifice.

While the book does a great job of humanizing Hale’s journey and making him a real person, it also confused me at first. I read most of it wondering when we were going to read about Hale becoming a spy. Why was the most important historical fact about Hale pushed so far towards the back of the book? After all other books like 355: The Women of Washington’s Spy Ring by Kit Sergeant put espionage front and center and Wilcoxson only devotes the final third to Hale’s missions. I was curious until I  read the chapters that covered Hale’s spying. It turns out that he wasn’t really that good at it. 

In Wilcoxson’s laudable effort to humanize Hale and the other early American patriots, she makes the Reader aware of their flaws. While Hale was a dedicated Patriot, an excellent soldier, and probably a terrific forward thinking teacher, he was not so adept at the spy game. In his first and only assignment, he manages to gather some intelligence but his cover is easily blown and he is very quickly discovered. It’s kind of humorous especially compared to Sergeant’s work where Meg Moncrieff Coughlin, Elizabeth Burgin, and Sally Townsend have much more successful multiple missions as members of the Culper Spy Ring and one may have even been the notorious “Agent 355,” one of Washington’s most successful female spies and who still to this day has remained unidentified. I was disappointed when I came upon Hale’s chapters and preferred the rest of the book, but after much thought I realized that was the point. 

Nathan Hale was not some super spy secret agent. He was just an ordinary guy thrust into an extraordinary situation. One that in some ways he was unprepared for, but rose to the occasion anyway. He was someone who was proud to be one of the many who fought and died for his country and ultimately summarized those feelings with the right words. 

Lit List Short Reviews: Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice by Amy Shannon; Ghost of the Rio Grande The Reluctant Tejano Hero Stands Up To Conspiracy, Murder and Injustice Along The Border or The War and Punitive Expedition By The U.S. Into Mexico 1916-1917 by Don A Holbrook Story by Gilberto Beto Garcia Jr.

 Lit List Short Reviews: Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice by Amy Shannon; Ghost of the Rio Grande The Reluctant Tejano Hero Stands Up To Conspiracy, Murder and Injustice Along The Border or The War and Punitive Expedition By The U.S. Into Mexico 1916-1917 by Don A Holbrook Story by Gilberto Beto Garcia Jr.

Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice by Amy Shannon

Fractured Tears: A Struggle for Justice is an emotional, strong, and inspirational fictionalized account of author Amy Shannon's fight against her abusive husband to obtain justice and live with the short and long term after effects from years of domestic violence.

The fictionalized version of Shannon is called Anna Coleman. She has woken up in the hospital after her husband, Ted beat her. Instead of crying and blaming herself for the abuse, Anna is understandably angry. She has had enough of trying to make a faltering abusive marriage work. Even though their son died and the two have been in mourning, it doesn’t excuse his drug use, his angry fists, his belittling of her, his ever changing moods, and her frequent hospitalizations thanks to his beatings of her. After an intense fight in which she manages to escape to a nearby police station and is taken to the hospital, Anna decides to file for divorce.

Anna is a very strong character dealing with her divorce and the physical and psychological aftereffects of the abuse. While dealing with a stressful court case, Anna has migraines that developed because of the constant beatings and falling down. She also has to cope with betrayal when some of her and her husband’s friends side with Ted. Through it all, Anna has a determination and inner strength to break free from her marriage, assert her independence, and live her own life.

What is particularly admirable about Anna’s story is how much it mirrors her author’s. According to her epilogue, Shannon used her own real life troubled marriage and subsequent divorce as inspiration for her book. There were some major differences between fictional and real life (Shannon actually has children during the divorce but opted to keep them out of the fictional version to keep them free from any publicity. She also did not begin a tentative romance with an attorney as Anna does in the book). However much of Shannon’s real life pain and triumph is echoed in her book. For example, the fight which led to Shannon’s escape to a police station and hospitalization is true to life. Also Anna’s badass speech in court in which she revealed exactly what Ted did to her and that she can’t forgive him for his abuse and betrayal is almost word for word a speech in which Shannon said to her own ex.

It cannot be stressed enough how graphic and realistic the violence is, of course it would be. It can be triggering for some Readers. (Shannon warns of this herself in the opening). But it is truthful about a woman who struggled in a difficult situation and courageously and heroically found her way out in fiction and most importantly in reality.

Don A. Holbrook and Gilberto Beto Garcia Jr tell a suspenseful and exciting Western and Espionage Thriller, Ghost of The Rio Grande The Reluctant Tejano Hero Stands Up to Conspiracy, Murder, and Injustice Along The Border or The War and Punitive Expedition by the U.S. Into Mexico, 1916-1917. 

Fabriciano Garcia is in a huge mess of trouble. He shot a Texas Ranger in self-defense after they tried to evict him and his family from his father-in-law’s ranch. Fabriciano goes on the run and becomes an outlaw with the name of El Fantomas or The Ghost. He caught the attention of Francois LaBorde, an eccentric hotelier. Francois gets Fabriciano involved in more international intrigue involving people with names like Mata Hari and an international war against the Germans and will soon involve the entire world. 

Ghost of the Rio Grande is an interesting mixture of Meso-American Western and International Espionage Thriller. It captures the time when the United States, long believed to hold onto an isolationist largely nationalistic policy, was thrust into a larger international spotlight. One of the key moments in the book is the discovery of the Zimmerman Telegram, a telegram intercepted by British intelligence, which proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States got involved in the war. The book shows how this revelation affected all of the countries involved by showing what the ramifications meant for Germany, The United States, and Mexico. 

The book also takes a hard look at the policies that the United States had with Mexico which led to many decades, even centuries, of fractured relations between the two countries and racist policies towards Central and South American immigrants. This is seen through Fabriciano’s journey from being one of many immigrants trying to make their way in a country that doesn’t always want them there. Racism drives Fabriciano away from his family and restrictive policies drive him to take on a life of crime. Ironically, the international situation allows Fabriciano to aid the country that once turned him away and branded him a criminal.

Fabriciano is an excellent protagonist to understand and root for. Even when he commits illegal acts, he always does it with the best of intentions and for the assistance of others. While on the run, he longs to be back with his wife, Manuela and their children. He becomes close friends with various characters during his time on the run. One in particular is so close to Fabriciano that when he is killed, Fabriciano who faced countless dangers in spying missions, is ready to go on another mission to kill this character’s assassin. He is willing to put his identity on the line for justice for his late friend. Fabriciano is a character of deep convictions and loyalty. This book shows that.

Ghost of the Rio Grande is a fascinating look at a history that is only mildly explored in American history books and brings it to life with interesting characters that take a fresh perspective to that history.

Weekly Reader: The Portable Nine by Pete Mesling; Nine Fascisnating Spies and Assassins Reveal The Honor and Dishonor Among Thieves and Killers

 

Weekly Reader: The Portable Nine by Pete Mesling; Nine Fascisnating Spies and Assassins Reveal The Honor and Dishonor Among Thieves and Killers

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Pete Mesling's crime thriller, The Portable Nine, uses its fascinating cast of nine spies and assassins to show the honor and dishonor among people who exist outside the standards of law and ethics. 

Davenport is one of an elite group called The Portable Nine. Whenever some government official or corporate executive wants someone to be removed they call people like Davenport. He is known as The Mad Marksman of Malta. A cool headed sophisticate with a love of Bach, Dickens, and his Cobra King Colt gun, Davenport hunts and attacks his target without losing control. Usually. This time he is unable to kill his target, a businessman named Max Brindle, and even develops an acquaintenship with him, enough of one that he actually feels guilty about doing away with him. 

As if that wasn't enough, someone named The Black Phantom sends Davenport a video telling him that they are offended that he went after Brindle. To offend The Phantom is not a good idea and could be disastrous. To show they mean business, the video shows the home of the loving aunt who raised Davenport exploding right on screen. So The Phantom knows not only who Davenport really is but will go after and kill anyone to get to him. Davenport knows that the Black Phantom is someone that he cannot possibly expect to face alone. Time to call the other eight members of the Portable Nine to assemble and face their enemy before they get whittled down to the Portable Zero.

The Portable Nine are an interesting bunch. Besides Davenport, they are: 

The Butcher-Lives up to his name. If he weren't a paid assassin, he would be an effective serial killer. He uses a hatchet to cut open victims and leave them bloody afterwards. But not before he goes into a spiel about why they need to die.

Twitch Markham- You would think that someone with various nervous gestures and obvious Anxiety Disorder would not make a good assassin (neither would I) but here he is. He's handy with a gun and was once as ruthless as the rest. But now his nerves are getting the better of him and he thinks that maybe it's time to pack it in. That is until he receives a note from a colleague.

Lovinia Dolcet-A frormer pornographic actress, she prefers to seduce her male victims before she kills them. So she mixes business with pleasure. Her weapon of choice are the Twin Delights, two skewers with pornographic images. When she uses the Twins, they are often the last things her victims see.

Abel Hazard-A rugged Australian, he usually rides his Kawasaki and hangs outdoors in the Outback. He literally lives without fear. No seriously. His amygdala which controls the fear response was surgically removed. He is an active sort who doesn't mind using muscle to bring down enemies, but the removal of fear also removes caution. That may make him a liability to the profession. 

Dr. Intaglio and Mr. Bonnet-The only Portable Nine members who work as a team. Mr. Bonnet is blind but is still capable on the field. Intaglio is his partner and serves as  Bonnet's eyes. Together they are inscrutable and unstoppable.

Robin Varnesse-The Grand Old Man of the group. An American, he has been living in wealthy retirement on the Isle of Man for so long that he acquired a local accent. He is something of a lady's man, remembering his love affairs with both women in the group.

Miranda Gissing-A sharp tongued wit and a lesbian, she loves the thrill of her job. She  particularly loves the cover up aspects like driving fast to make a murder look like a suicide or accident. She also had a string of affairs outside and within the Portable Nine.  

Our Antiheroes, Ladies and Gentlemen. They are a depraved seedy bunch. People you would never want to meet. But still like many characters that exist in shades of gray, they are fascinating and hard to forget.

There are various moments of intrigue and suspense once the Portable Nine are assembled. They have to work as a team when they are abducted and taken to the desert. They also face betrayal when a member turns traitor on them. (Turning traitor on trained killers was probably not the smartest idea in the world. No chance that they will survive to pocket the money.)

The betrayal hits because these are characters that have existed outside the law, outside any real human connections except within the Portable Nine. In a strange way, not trusting anyone else and knowing so much about each other, makes them trustworthy at least to one another. They have formed a strange sadistic surrogate family unit. A family that kills other people. Betraying them is like taking sides against the Family. At least the Phantom is outside the group. The real enemy ends up being within.

 That's why Davenport sends for them. In a world surrounded by villainy, he trusts the villains that he knows over the ones that he doesn't.  Unfortunately, this betrayal proves to be the most powerful sting.

Their own betrayal and mistrust destroys the team more than any Black Phantom ever could.