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Crime Fiction Book of the Year!

11/24/2014

In the Morning I'll Be Gone: A Detective Sean Duffy Novel by Adrian Mckinty
I'm not a fan of detective novels, but when Adrian McKinty creates a good cop that's pissed off and backed into a corner, I'm coming along for the ride. This novel was everything I had hoped it would be, gritty, action-packed and full of nasty surprises.
No spoilers from me. A good cop, fed up with a gangster attitude. He’s willing and able to give bottom feeders their own medicine. The plot rockets along at a frantic pace, I just couldn’t get enough. The trilogy was simply brilliant with a gripping ending that left me stunned.
What a gift, thank you Mr. McKinty.

Irish crime fiction at its best!

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Dangerously Intriguing Nail Biter

11/20/2014

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Cold Shadows by Jeff Critser
On the edge of your seat international nail biter. I couldn't wait to get back to where I left off the night before. Cold Shadows pulls the reader in deeper and deeper as the plot unfolds with murder, government agencies and secret underworld nooks and crannies. Well-crafted, excellent writing with detailed research that made the story incredibly real. I highly recommend Mr. Critser for anyone who’s looking for a Jack Ryan replacement. Can't wait for his next novel. Super stuff!

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Electrifying Crime Thriller!

11/18/2014

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In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke
His bad guys are nasty, his action scenes brutally tense and his novels are gripping page turners. Mr Burke has such an amazing way with words. His can make you vividly see a rainstorm coming in from a distance, or Mockingbirds playing in a tree and even feel the cold barrel of a gun against your neck. James Lee Burke is the Grandmaster of American Crime Fiction and he proves it again with another Dave Robicheaux winner, 6th in the series. To top it off this time he has some paranormal help. I loved it. His natural dialogue style and no nonsense action makes this one of my favorite crime fiction series. Pick one up and find out why.

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Not Your Grandma's Kidnapping Tale

11/15/2014

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An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
Expertly written with prose that read like a fast-paced first person crime novel. This story has no fluff at all and takes the reader on a trip from America to Haiti. A young family is visiting relatives when the young mother is kidnapped front of her husband and young son. Her father, a rich construction businessman refuses to pay ransom and she is forced into a nightmare world of unbelievable brutally. She's beaten, raped and burned by a group of men who keep her against her will. Her ability to fight back against overwhelming odds and defy her captors is truly heroic. I couldn't help but cringe at the physical and psychological damage Mireille faces throughout this story. Touching and emotionally real, I found myself drawn in and rooting for Mireille to be released or escape. A gripping page-turner, I couldn’t put down.

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Insane, Psychotic or Brilliant?

11/13/2014

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The Contortionist Handbook by Craig Clevenger
If you tried to kill yourself every time you got a migraine headache it might make you neurotic, compulsive and delusional. This novel captures it so well that I started feeling nervous and jerky myself. At times I felt overwhelmed by every minuet detail in the hospital and with therapists, but it serves to drive the point home that this guy is totally messed up. Each time John is revived from his self-medicated near death experience he tries to trick the doctors of his intention and identity. All the psychotic repetition is well worth it. It helps to set up his relationships women. My favorite was Sudden a woman who’s a stripper and gets him hooked on cocaine. Her erotic dark side was fascinating and left me wanting more. John’s criminal ability to switch his persona with other people was amazing. I would’ve loved more dating and crime but I still loved this twisted story. I’m still wondering if John was brilliant, insane or crazy.

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Crime Thrill Ride

11/12/2014

Stray Bullet by Simon Duringer
I had no idea that the opening scene would lead to such an awesome crime drama. Stray Bullet is a thrilling tale about a regular guy who turns professional killer. After the death of his parents leaves Jack careening into depression, a criminal friend sets him on dark career as a paid assassin. The first assignment was so captivating and gruesome that I found myself wondering what I would do given the situation. The plot grows more complex and deeper as a NY Kingpin offers Jack Shaw a job in his organization. Tense dialogue, and pressure cooker assignments makes this dark journey gripping and believable. Stray Bullet grabs a hold and doesn’t let go.

A paralyzing journey to survive

11/3/2014

Immobility by Brian Evenson
A fascinating post apocalyptic journey of human survival. Josef Horkai is brought back to consciousness and finds he's unable to walk. Stuck in an odd culture he is immediately sent on a mission to recover an artifact from the wasteland. Twists and turns kept the plot unraveling at a fast clip. I loved the character's banter and snappy dialogue. The author's sharp descriptions of a world long dead were seriously creepy and didn't slow down the pace. Readers looking for something different and scary will love this gripping sci-fi thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed Immobility and I look forward to more novels by this author.

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131 Reviews, 53 are Five Star ★★★★★. 73% of reviews are 4 and 5 Star. Review Average 4.0
A modern & gritty suspense novel thrusts war veteran into the brutal New York crime underworld. Bill Conlin survived the risks and rigors of serving in Afghanistan, can he find his way out of New York City’s dark crime underworld with his life and dignity intact?
CLICK HERE to buy
Bourbon & Blood
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$3.99

About Me:
Garrard Hayes is a lifelong New York resident whose ancestors made their living on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. His love of action and crime fiction, together with a knack for good, gritty story telling, sparked him to write Bourbon & Blood. He lives in New York with his wife, two children, and three dogs.

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