Police Procedural Review: Mick Charger: Murder by Cop by J. Atencio

Mick Charger - Murder by Cop
by J. Atencio 

Description:
Mick Charger, former Navy SEAL and homicide inspector had it all until a crushing back injury ended his career with the S.F.P.D.. Mick felt like "half a man" until he was offered and accepted a semi-retirement position as Sheriff of Alpine Ridge, a bucolic community on the shore of Lake Tahoe. Life was returning to normal for Mick until he learned he was working for the mob.

The head boss thought Mick would be easy to corrupt because he was disabled. They wanted a "dirty cop". When Mick refused the gangster's offer, they kidnapped his family.

Now it's a life or death race for Mick to rescue his family and shut down the mob before the mob shuts him down... permanently. They wanted a dirty cop. Mick is about to show them how dirty he can be. Mick Charger has declared war on the mob and South Lake Tahoe is Ground Zero...

My Review:
Mick Charger-Murder by Cop is a combination of police procedural, mystery/thriller, and even paranormal near the end. Mick’s a guy going through major changes after a bust goes wrong. Add in troubles with women, a new employer with a secret agenda, and a new department in need of some shaping up and he’s got his work cut out for him.

I thought the scenes with the bad guys were the best in the book. The meeting between Mick’s friend and the informant. The courier’s downfall. Both were really well done. I think if anything, these show the promise in this author’s writing. I also enjoyed the insight into police work and Mick’s no nonsense approach to shaping up his new sheriff’s office. Another thing I liked, despite it being a huge tangent off the main story, was the black widow mystery.

On the other hand, there were some significant issues with the book. First among these were the inconsistencies. Mick’s wife’s name changes back and forth for no reason. I could see it if Mick called her Laynie in dialog but the narration and other folks kept to Elaine, but it swaps constantly. There were also some minor hiccups, as with the badge being sent to Mick, then him not having a badge, then him going shopping with his wife to pick out a badge, which happens to be described exactly like the badge he was sent.

I thought the dialog was alright, but the punctuation around it and the tendency to announce the speaker’s conclusion right before they state it aloud to the other characters pulled it down. On a similar note, I noticed several places where something happens, then rewind, it happens again. The story is good, the characters interesting, but this book really needs a solid edit, and a lot of tightening of the plot.

So, overall, I’d say this is an ok read. I liked it, but I’d have trouble recommending it outright until it’s tightened up. That being said, if you don’t care whether a book’s rough, and you like police stories, you might like it.

I purchased this book while it was on a free promotion.



Books by this Author:

Middle Grade Review: The Prince of Warwood and The King's Key (Prince of Warwood #1) by J. Noel Clinton

The Prince of Warwood and The King's Key (Book 1)
by J. Noel Clinton

Description:
Xavier is just a normal kid. There isn’t anything special or extraordinary about him. He’s just Xavier Wells, the prince of geekdom. He’s a nobody, right? Wrong! So very wrong. And, soon Xavier’s normal life crashes down around him when he discovers he has magical powers. But, will he learn the truth about himself, his life, and his destiny before it’s too late?

My Review:
The Prince of Warwood is the first in a series about a boy who discovers he’s royalty among an offshoot of people whose physiology grants them a variety of mental powers.

I liked a few things about this story. First, I enjoyed the magic system, a blend of genetic inheritance, magic, and prophesy that tickled the fantasy fan in me. Another thing I liked was the banter between the characters, both old and young alike. And I also liked that Xavier doesn’t start off with superpower status and that he actually has room to grow as a person. He’s sassy and rebellious, often trying and failing to be better behaved.

As for things I didn’t care for, well, the bad guys torture Xavier and later his mother. It’s described in detail, not exactly something I’d have encouraged my son to read when he was of the target age for a middle-grade book, though he might have liked it. Also, I didn’t care for how his father goes overboard on making him respect adults to the point where his son is afraid to tell him some of those adults are mistreating him. 

Besides all that, I enjoyed the writing style and cadence of the story. It flows really well and the author is very good at bringing a scene to life. The characters are dynamic and interesting, and consistently true to their natures. Everything, even the stuff I didn’t like, had a purpose in the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, but I couldn’t help but feel that it seemed tailored for an adult audience rather than for the middle-grade crowd the description and tone of the story seemed geared towards. As such, I’d recommend this to folks who like darker stories with youthful heroes, contemporary fantasy, and magic. However, I’d encourage parents to read this book first before deciding whether to gift it to their children.

I purchased my copy of this book while it was on a free promotion.


About the Author:

Who is J. Noël Clinton? Good question! Is she an author, teacher, sister, aunt, wife, or super hero?

If you'd ask her, she is all of those things and more. Well, okay, so she's not truly a super hero, but she sometimes will hum the superman theme as she enters her classroom in morning. Surely you'd have to possess some degree of super powers to teach middle school students!

Mrs. Clinton has been a public school teacher for 17 years where her students served as spectacular muses for story ideas. If you've ever taught, substituted, or observed in a public middle school, you know the antics adolescents will attempt on poor, unsuspecting individuals. It is the best of times and the worst of times of childhood after all. It is for this reason that Noël finds writing stories for adolescents engaging and entertaining.

Author Links:

Prince of Warwood on Facebook

Twitter @princeofwarwood

Books by this Author:

Apocalyptic Review: Left Behind (Left Behind #1) by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins

Left Behind  (Left Behind #1)
by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins

Description:
An airborne Boeing 747 is headed to London when, without any warning, passengers mysteriously disappear from their seats. Terror and chaos slowly spread not only through the plane but also worldwide as unusual events continue to unfold. For those who have been left behind, the apocalypse has just begun.


My Review:
I really enjoyed this book. Gets a bit preachy here and there, but since the whole point of the book is to explore the Rapture and the aftermath of it, I expected such.

I like how the book follows two main characters whose experiences, reactions, and paths taken after being left behind are different, but linked. The supporting characters are just as realistic and important to the book. I think Buck's tale drew me in more than Raymond's. There seemed to be a lot more tangible and spiritual danger to him. The final meeting blew my mind.

There are scriptural references sprinkled throughout to lend authenticity to the imagined way things would go down. Found them interesting.

I think folks who love apocalyptic stories might like this as well, regardless of religion. Devout Christians in particular may find the story encouraging and validating, while the casually religious might find it frightening.

I bought my copy of this book at a thrift store.


About the Authors:

Timothy "Tim" F. LaHaye was an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker, best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins. He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Timothy "Tim" F. LaHaye was an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker, best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins.

He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American novelist and biographer. He is best known as co-author of the Left Behind series of books with Tim LaHaye. Jenkins has written over 185 books, including mysteries, historical fiction, biblical fiction, cop thrillers, international spy thrillers, and children's adventures, as well as non-fiction. His works usually feature Christians as protagonists. In 2005, Jenkins and LaHaye ranked 9th in Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary list of Hall of Fame authors based on books sold at Amazon.com during its first 10 years. Jenkins now teaches writers to become authors here at his website. He and his wife Dianna have three sons and eight grandchildren.

Books in this Series:

New Release Announcement: The Bay of Sins (Water Road #3) by J.D. Byrne

The Bay of Sins (The Water Road #3) by J.D. Byrne

Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: March 22, 2017

Description:
The war is over, but nothing is settled.

On the Neldathi side of the Water Road the clans are slowly pulling apart following a sudden murder. Hirrek is tasked with getting to the bottom of a mystery: was this killing the random act of a violent, unstable man? Or was it something more sinister, a hint of what the Neldathi thought they’d defeated during the war? The unity won in blood may be slipping away.

In the rebuilding city of Innisport, life is returning to something like normal. That’s largely due to Mida, given the task of rebuilding the city by Antrey Ranbren herself. After Mida hands power over to the Guild of Politicians, she finds herself on trial for her life, charged with treason and being a collaborator. Along the way she meets someone, a curious remnant of the war, who makes her rethink the way she sees those that destroyed her city.

In the meantime, Antrey returns from exile, escaping to the wilderness of Telebria. She gains new allies, including Rurek, and a new foe, the Sentinel Faerl. He’s best known among the other Sentinels as the man who let Antrey slip away once before, getting all his men killed in the process. Now he has a chance for redemption and revenge. But Antrey is willing to do anything to ensure that her legacy does not slip away.

The chase is on, as the saga of The Water Road barrels toward its explosive conclusion.

I'll be reviewing this one in a few weeks.  Looking forward to it.

Book Links:
The Water Road
The Endless Hills

Learn more about The Water Road trilogy from the Water Road Wednesday posts on J.D. Byrne's blog.


About the Author:


J.D. Byrne

JD Byrne was born and raised around Charleston, West Virginia, before spending seven years in Morgantown getting degrees in history and law from West Virginia University. He's practiced law for more than 15 years, writing briefs where he has to stick to real facts and real law. In his fiction, he gets to make up the facts, take or leave the law, and let his imagination run wild. He lives outside Charleston with his wife, one-eyed dog, and black cat.

Facebook: JDBAuthor

Twitter: @JDBAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JDByrne

Web: jdbyrne.net

Childrens New Release and Review: The Queen of the Frogs by Davide Cali and Illustrated by Marco Soma

The Queen of the Frogs 
by Davide Cali (Author), Marco Somà (Illustrations)
 
Release Date: March 20, 2017

Description:
An enchanting modern fable.

The frogs enjoy their life at the pond, filling their days with fly brunches and night music. But one day a little frog finds a crown at the bottom of the pond and is instantly pronounced a queen. She starts doing what queens do: making demands and expecting others to serve her. But when her royal subjects start to question her authority, she must prove she's fit to rule—if she can.

Reminiscent of Aesop's fables, this beautifully illustrated book is sure to start a discussion about the concept of leadership and the importance of humility.


My Review:
What a sweet little story about a frog who finds a crown and becomes the frog queen. I like how it has a moral showing that having a crown doesn't make you a good queen. The explanation around the crown itself is also cool and left a smile on my face.

The illustrations are lovely, not cartoony, but interesting with neat froggy contraptions and scenarios. I think I would I have liked this had I read it as a kid, mostly for the details in the pictures, but also for the queen's plight. It is simple, but not simplistic.

I would have liked to know what happened to the queen beyond just after having lost her crown.

Overall, I really liked it. Good for bedtime reading, interesting pictures, and simple story. Recommended.

I picked this up on NetGalley for a quick read.


About the Author:
Davide Cali was born in Liestal, Switzerland and lives in Genoa. He was a comic writer and illustrator for various magazines until he turned to children's books in 2000. At first both an author and illustrator, he finally decided only to write. Since then, he has written more than 20 picture books, which have been translated into many languages. --translated from the Goodreads author profile

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