Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • An Editorial Review of “Unbroke Horses” by D. B. Jackson

    An Editorial Review of “Unbroke Horses” by D. B. Jackson

    I read the early pages of D.B. Jackson’s Unbroke Horses with a heavy heart. If anything could be considered even partial mitigation for the senseless evil, cruelty, and disregard for life displayed by Jackson’s first-carved characters—Civil War deserters Brevet General Ike Smith and his dull-witted brother, Private Raymond Smith—one might seek an explanation in the gruesome experience of the war itself. Yet General Ike shows no inclination to change his postwar life. He seems to have no different thought for their future than living off the blood of others. After killing two farmers for fresh horses and an elderly man for his purse, the two take on a partner, a silent mulatto named Sandoval—thenceforth, Private Sandoval Smith.

    The murderous violence reaches its apex when the monstrous Smiths kidnap the slightly built, fair-haired Matthew Stanford, whose preacher father they had senselessly murdered on the trail. Though only fourteen years old, Matthew grows up all too quickly in their cruel hands.

    On one hand, this is a coming of age story of a boy, Matthew, who must survive by his wits when he is kidnapped by the three vicious men. It is also an epic account of the heroic battle waged by one of the trio’s badly injured victims, J.D. Elder, who must fight a deadly wrenching conflict as he tries to rescue the boy from the sadistic threesome. It is a powerful, un-blinking telling of the hard-fought war between the bravery of J.D. Elder who refuses to give up against the cunning cruelty of the malevolent trio.

    Caught up by his own part in the violence, Matthew is convinced that he has become as evil as his captors. Matthew’s destructive attitude becomes his worst enemy. The question becomes, will he find a way back from the darkness that has taken over him or will he be forever doomed to the cold, ugly life of violence and killing?

    While Jackson’s excellent prose and poetic sketches help balance the harshness of the first part of his story, in the second part these are played to advantage in portraying the majestic beauty of Montana’s mountains, the peace of a flowered meadow, the fury of the white-water streams, the camaraderie of cowboy life on a cattle ranch, the dangerous power of “unbroke horses,” and the spiritual wisdom that an old Indian draws upon.

    D. B. Jackson’s Unbroke Horses has carefully chiseled characters and is written with unflinching clarity in short, powerful chapters dominated by taut dialogue and hard hitting action.  If you’re a Cormac McCarthy fan who appreciates western literary thrillers, this masterfully written novel is a must-read.

    Unbroke Horses by D. B. Jackson was awarded the 1st Place for Western Literary Category in the Laramie Awards 2013 for Western fiction, Pioneer, and Civil War fiction, a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

  • An Editorial Review of “The Black Pelican” by Vadim Babenko

    An Editorial Review of “The Black Pelican” by Vadim Babenko

    Vadim Babenko is a master of delving into the mind and heart of post-Soviet Russia with his contemporary literary works. The Black Pelican, his first novel, transcends genres with its complexity of story and supernatural elements. It was nominated for Russian Big Book Awards and the National Bestseller Awards.

    Told in two parts, The Black Pelican, utilizes a borderline stark narrative style that does not follow a traditional plot driven storyline. Written with intermittent lush and beautiful turns of phrase, Babenko  describes his hauntingly bizarre world. Readers may find themselves wondering if there really are mysterious men randomly running through restaurants or if animals with unsettling purple eyes really do exist. Rest assured, every bizarre scenario where the narrator finds himself in is one hundred percent real.

    The story centers on Vitus, the narrator, who is journeying to the mysterious and enigmatic City of M., in pursuit of Julian, a former co-worker. Vitus cannot forgive Julian his sins: his success at work, his charisma, and perhaps worst of all, his triumphant wooing of Vera back from Vitus. Vera is one of the few women Vitus has connected with on an emotional level.

    When Vitus arrives in the City of M. he is paranoid, on the border of nihilism, and at a tipping point in his life. The one thing he holds dear is his secret–his plan to kill Julian and get his revenge.

    Soon after his arrival, Vitus meets the menacing hotel-keeper Piolin, and Gibbs, a man with only half a face that he says is due to an encounter with the Black Pelicans—birds that live only in myth for most of the population despite their very real and incredibly violent existence.

    Unable to find Julian, Vitus fears that he will fail to carry out his murder. Piolin and Gibbs quickly come up with a plan to help him track down Julian. Vitus finds himself going to the surreal landscape of the Dunes with Gibbs and a motley crew: Sylvia and Stella. He soon realizes that the group itself has an ulterior motive. Meanwhile, the Black Pelicans loom menacingly on the horizon.

    Inevitably, Vitus finds himself face to face with one of the Black Pelicans. His encounter leaves him scarred both mentally and physically. After the occurrences in the Dunes, Vitus takes time to heal and begins to contemplate his life.  What happens next is something neither the reader nor Vitus expect.

    Marked for life after his encounter with the Black Pelicans, Vitus must face several choices.  Shall he return to the Capital and his old way of life?  Should he go back to the City of M.?  And most importantly, what should he do about Julian?  At the heart of the novel is one man’s quest for fulfillment and meaning in an often cold and irrational world.

    Those who take pleasure in contemplative literary works will find Vitus’ scenes of self-reflection, philosophical conjectures, and observations of others satisfying. This novel reflects the emotional turning point in Babenko’s life where he, indeed, met his own Black Pelicans face to face. His writing draws you into the construct of this treacherous and threatening landscape and engages you with its twisted and gripping characters.

    The Black Pelican is a sagacious novel that is powerfully written. You will find yourself reflecting on the philosophical questions Babenko puts forth long after you have read the last page. We look forward to reading Babenko’s next work.

    “Each book is a separate universe, a cosmos with its own metrics. The only thing that makes sense in my life is nourishing these universes in my mind for years, and when they’re mature enough, converting them into written narratives, fixing their inner logic, setting the laws of their physics.” – Vadim Babenko

     

  • An Editorial Review of “Petroplague” by Amy Rogers

    An Editorial Review of “Petroplague” by Amy Rogers

    If you’re a fan of techno-thrillers, you’ll want to read Petroplague by Amy Rogers just for the breath of fresh air it brings to the genre, especially by its characters—all realistic scientists behaving like real scientists would–and a fresh plot that avoids some of the tired clichés—lots of murder, mayhem, and a protagonist who performs a series of almost superhuman feats, one after another, and emerges unscathed. If you don’t usually read techno-thrillers, this one’s definitely worth picking up for the same reasons—it’s different.

    Christina Gonzales, the protagonist, is attractive and has a pleasant personality. However, she doesn’t wear make- up, and she dresses with comfort in mind. She’s investigating a strain of petroleum-eating bacteria, like those used to assist clean-up efforts after the Exxon Valdez disaster, for her PhD thesis at UCLA. Her bacteria, Syntrophus, are different in that they are anaerobic, and they work in concert with other bacteria deep in crude oil deposits to produce methane, the principle ingredient in natural gas. She is also helping her thesis adviser, develop a strain of E. coli that will produce isobutanol, a good but expensive substitute for gasoline.

    Christina shares an apartment with her cousin River and River’s boyfriend, Mickey, which is near the UCLA campus. The real action begins when we learn that an eco-terrorist bomb, which exploded in an underground storage tank of an abandoned gas station in South LA, destroyed Christina’s pilot project and thesis. The tanks, loaded with instrumentation, were filled with low-grade crude oil infected with Christina’s oil-eating bacteria. It quickly becomes clear that Christina’s bacteria were also released by the explosion and have evolved into aerobic organisms that are gobbling up gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel. Also, out of their underground anaerobic environment, the bacteria are producing, not methane but acetic acid and hydrogen, an odorless, invisible and extremely explosive gas. This is the beginning of the LA petroplague.

    Cars, trucks and planes grind to a halt as Christina’s bacteria consume their fuel, while free hydrogen gas causes explosions and fires around the city. In an artful twist, Christina realizes that she has inadvertently passed information to the eco-terrorist. As the cast of characters continues to grow, Rogers weaves them into an intricate plot as the science becomes intriguingly more complex.

    Amy Rogers, a Harvard educated, M.D., and Ph.D.,  writes thrilling science-themed novels that pose “frightening what if? questions.” She grounds her thrillers in fact until the last possible second. Then she blurs the lines between fact and fiction. This is where Rogers well-crafted explanations maneuver her readers to become wrapped up in the story-line and with its compelling characters.

    In the interest of scientific literacy, Rogers added five-pages of technical notes at the end in which she explains the scientific details (with references, bless her heart) and distinguishes between and the  parts where, she admits, “I made this stuff up.” I can recommend Petroplague without hesitation to readers fascinated by real science as well as to my most science-phobic friends. The revelations in her writing will make readers feel like they are insiders in a field that only an elite few understand.

  • An Editorial Review of “Mistress by Magick” by Laura Navarre

    An Editorial Review of “Mistress by Magick” by Laura Navarre

    Alejandro Angelo de Zamorra—better known as Lord Calyx, the captain of the pirate ship Arcangel—is the Scourge of the Spanish Main.  The other captains in the Spanish Armada resent and distrust him, and not only because his mother is English.  His charge to lead the Spanish attack against Tudor England, under the orders of the royally appointed timid “Admiral of the Ocean Sea,” doesn’t sit well with him. But Calyx is a pirate, a mercenary who sells his sword and his ship to the highest bidder.

    The daredevil captain of the Arcangel, known for his amorous diversions, has more than the English to fight. Control of his ship is challenged by the conservative Spanish dons in his ship’s hold and, to his confoundment, in his own quarters—where he is outmaneuvered by the mysterious beauty his crew considers his latest mistress.

    His “mistress” is none other than the enticing Comtesse Jayne Boleyn, banished from court and country by her own cousin, the jealous Tudor Queen. Queen Elizabeth has taken Jayne’s son and given his wardship to her own favorite, Lord Robert Dudley. Jayne is coerced into infiltrating Spanish King Phillip’s royal court—and his royal Armada—as a spy in exchange for her son’s safety.

    Mistress by Magick, the concluding volume in Laura Navarre’s Magick Trilogy, captivated me from the beginning with its intriguing story line, along with Navarre’s lush writing style that makes every scene come vividly alive. She deftly interweaves the suspense of the impending Spanish invasion, the intrigue of two royal courts, the fantasy elements of fallen angels and the Fae, and deliciously pure seduction in this riveting tale of rivaling powers, deceit, and passion.

    And as if that wasn’t enough to tantalize her readers, Navarre’s cast of characters makes for a fascinating read.  Jayne has Fairie magick she can barely control, a legacy of her Boleyn heritage; Mordred of Camelot has returned from beyond the grave to reclaim his throne as the Faerie King, in secret accord with Spanish King Philip; Behometh—the captain’s black cat—has an uncanny ability to be everywhere and nowhere; lucky Lord Calyx charts his stars and reads omens; Arthurian legend is given a new twist—with fallen angels and the Nephilim thrown into the mix; and the fate of England is threatened.

    I was conflicted between the desire to languish in the smartly coy interplay and romantic liaisons between Calyx and Jayne, or sink into the sumptuous descriptions of the era, or turn the pages faster as Navarre deftly builds the tension around the impending battle that looms on the horizon.

    One would almost think these are too many story lines to weave together, but Navarre deftly does so with aplomb. She also navigates her way around sailing ships enough to please this diehard Patrick O’Brien fan.  Laura Navarre is a wonderful story teller who takes romance novels to a new level with her diligent historical research that enhances her stories. Her romance novels are a secret pleasure for those—do I dare say—who consider themselves not the typical romance novel readers.

    Make no mistake about it, the Magick Trilogy series are not YA novels. You may want to have your own Venetian lace fan close at hand when devouring these rapturously delicious books.

    “They were captor and captive, Spanish and English, ruthless pirate and reluctant spy….There was only tonight. Then they were enemies once more.”

     

  • An Editorial Review of “The Honest Look” by Jennifer L. Rohn

    An Editorial Review of “The Honest Look” by Jennifer L. Rohn

    In The Honest Look, Jennifer L. Rohn has given life, as only a writer can, to one of the most important aspects of scientific research and science itself—the human aspect. For that reason alone, it is a significant novel about science, but it is also a very beautiful and touching story. The Honest Look could dramatically change the way readers who are not scientists understand the scientific method and what scientists must do in their pursuit of ground breaking research.

    When Claire Cyrus arrives in Amsterdam to begin her job as a senior scientist at a biotech start-up called Neurosys, she is immediately perceived as an interloper by her peers. She quickly falls in love with Amsterdam, only to realize after she takes an apartment there that, while the city is a great tourist destination, it’s not a comfortable place for most expats.

    Undaunted, Claire, perceived as an offbeat prodigy, responds to her outcast status by disappearing into her work, putting in long hours and often sleeping overnight in an armchair she commandeers for her lab. Enterprise and hard work seem to  pay off. She demonstrates that she can ready the company’s only drug to begin its Phase I clinical testing. Simultaneously, a most unlikely romance develops with one of the firm’s principals. But then, just when the success of her contributions promises to solidify her place in the company, she accidentally finds something that doesn’t fit into the working hypothesis on which the company’s only drug is predicated.

    What makes Rohn’s book so noteworthy is that it turns a negative result into a vivid human drama. Most of the time scientists focus on finding evidence that “supports” a general hypothesis, theory or principle, but they also understand that a single negative finding can ruin the generality of every principle and theory in science.

    When a slip of Claire’s thumb takes a sample outside the cells she’s studying, her curiosity and belief in the scientific method lead her to run the incidental sample through her apparatus instead of disposing of it. To her surprise, the analysis doesn’t come out the way the Universal Aggregation Principle predicts it should. And if the principle isn’t true, then Neurosys’ only drug shouldn’t work.

    Now what?  This is where research can get either nasty or exciting, and for Claire, it is both.

    Rohn’s sensitive and perceptive handling of characters’ feelings, a complicated love triangle,  evocative descriptions of Amsterdam, and a realistic glimpse of the daunting years that young scientists must endure to make their reputations add up to a compelling  and engaging read.

    The Honest Look by Jennifer L. Rohn is a thought provoking and riveting  “Lab Lit” novel that draws you into this specialized world and the competitive environment of research scientists.  Highly recommended.

  • An Editorial Review of “The Blue Virgin” by M. K. Graff

    An Editorial Review of “The Blue Virgin” by M. K. Graff

    Being very fond of British murder mysteries, in print and movies, and on PBS Mystery Theatre (most relevantly, the Inspector Lewis series), I was immediately drawn to M. K. Graff’s The Blue Virgin. Thanks to her personal experience while studying literature at Oxford University, Graff is able to set her first published novel in the historical university town with great accuracy.

    Graff’s considerable literary talent enables her to develop an intriguing cast of British characters—with one national exception: the feisty, attractive, and pregnant protagonist, Nora Tierney, an American writer. Having recently lost her fiancé in an accident, Nora’s spirits are raised by winning, as an essay contest prize, the opportunity to collaborate with British artist Simon Ramsey as an illustrator for her children’s book about fairies.

    As the story begins, the murder victim is still very much alive: Bryn Wallace, a gorgeous former fashion model turned talented photographer, is enjoying a glass of Merlot in The Blue Virgin, Oxford’s favorite alternative-lifestyle spot. Her lover Valentine Rogan, a textile artist, joins her, and the two soon head to Bryn’s trendy flat. Despite the excellent gourmet dinner Bryn concocts, the two later argue about their plans to move in together, and a morose Val leaves. A bit later, Bryn interrupts her kitchen cleanup to answer a knock at the door. “What…?” she exclaims. “You’d better come in….”

    Dawn is breaking when Detective Inspector Declan Barnes is called to Bryn’s flat and finds her lifeless body seemingly artfully arranged in the blood-spattered kitchen. After a bit of investigation, it isn’t long before he calls on Val Rogan as a suspect,

    Later that morning, Val calls her American friend Nora, who is staying at Ramsey Lodge in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. Her host, illustrator, and admirer, Simon, insists on driving her to Oxford to stand by Val. Much to his dismay, Nora immediately turns sleuth, determined to clear her friend Val of murder charges.

    The pace quickens as the plot thickens, when not just one but two more bodies are discovered! Nora is determined to continue sleuthing; Declan is equally adamant that she not intervene in his work, and Simon is plainly worried about Nora’s safety. The tension builds as the plot twists and turns on its way to a surprising ending.

    You’re in for a pulse-raising solid read that will leave you eager to delve into Graff’s next Nora Tierney mystery—with hopefully more to come!  Graff’s sophisticated writing interweaves eccentric characters, visually rich locales, epigraphs, and well-crafted dialog that together create a delightfully clever and intriguing mystery.

    “The Blue Virgin” by M. K. Graff is a First Place Category winner for British Cozy Mysteries in the Mystery & Mayhem Awards for Cozy Mysteries 2013, a division of Chanticleer Writing Competitions.

  • An Editorial Review of “Rules of Lying” by Stephie Smith

    An Editorial Review of “Rules of Lying” by Stephie Smith

    Bridget Jones fans can quit waiting for a sequel. Readers who enjoy humorous stories about single women now have a new heroine: Jane Dough, a bestselling romance author whose boyfriend dumped her—make that a former bestselling author.  It seems his carousing ways have given Jane a load of writer’s block. Instead of penning romance novels about rich dukes “hung like stallions,” Jane castrates her male characters. Her agent is not pleased, and Jane worries she will never sell a book again.

    In Stephie Smith’s fun to read mystery novel, Rules of Lying, Jane is tired of the deceptive ways of her mother and five sisters. However, that doesn’t stop Jane from posting a ‘Husband Wanted’ sign on her Florida property, even though the young woman has no intention of marrying. Jane just wants some of the muscles that come with a man–the kind of muscles that will clear her property to please the Home Owners’ Association. But somehow, despite her best efforts, her eyes are continuously drawn to the area around the thigh muscles of the more worthy applicants for the position. Even so, she is determined not to get distracted.

    Sue, Jane’s best friend, finally convinces her to keep an open mind and that “new doesn’t necessarily mean wrong.” And this is when the fun begins—with a rash in the- you-know-where.

    Enter a handsome doctor, a good looking cowboy, some newspaper articles that suggest that Jane has a racy past, a few obnoxious neighbors, a threatening banker, a hurricane,  a tomcat who adopts her, and then mix in Jane’s misguided good intentions and her family’s —well, you’ve got a laugh-out-loud story that will keep you entertained to the very end.

    While some romantic heroines tangle in a love triangle, Jane’s predicament grows into a polygon. Not only is Dr. Rossi a candidate for her heart, with his mansion and vintage Jaguar, the handsome neighbor Hank Tyler also offers Jane money to fix up her property along with his property clearing muscles. Even though Jane’s at risk of losing her home and swampy land, accepting money from others is not in her game plan.

    Gale force winds descend while she tries to discover the culprit  who is sabotaging her best laid plans to keep her home. Meanwhile, as Jane tries her best to keep her pants on, her friend Sue reminds her of the different kinds of sex she is missing out on: Sweet sex, fun sex, gorilla sex, make up sex…  Jane thinks the whole sex thing isn’t going to be that easy when she continuously finds herself looking goofy, once even sporting a muddy foot “complete with its own grass-sprouting wart” when the handsome and rich doctor came a calling.

    Readers who enjoy fun and randy mysteries about being caught in the bumbling world of love will greatly enjoy Stephie Smith’s Rules of Lying. Jane Dough is a charmer. I was surprised with the ending and am looking forward to reading more about Jane’s adventures and her new lease on love.

    Rules of Lying by Stephie Smith was awarded 1st place in the Mystery & Mayhem Awards, Humor Category; a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

  • An Editorial Review of “Without Consent” by Bev Irwin

    An Editorial Review of “Without Consent” by Bev Irwin

    Bev Irwin immediately introduces her serial killer in Without Consent by having him carve out the kidney of a conscious woman. Irwin deftly interlaces Doctor Claire Valincourt, Detective Gerry Rosko, the numerous victims, and the killer himself in this descriptive medical-thriller.

    Dr. Claire Valincourt’s world changes after she finds the first body of a spree of killings, and she struggles to face death and horror outside of the sanitized environment of hospitals. Heading up the investigation is Detective Rosko, the surprisingly clement police officer who sparks with Valincourt from the moment they first shake hands. Their growing relationship is dogged by death and danger.

    Irwin presents a wide cast of memorable characters in Without Consent. From a charismatic sketch artist, to reporters that just don’t know when to quit, Irwin organizes the plot so that not a strand is out of place, and most everything dovetails. The terror of Rosko and Doctor Valincourt surrounded by suspects, one of whom is a brutal murderer, gives their lives a level of tension that could be cut with a scalpel.

    Suspense devotees will appreciate the details revealed about the killer’s inner workings. The foreshadowing at the beginning also points to Rosko and Valincourt being thrown together, and with each missing kidney, their romance blossoms against recent personal wounds and professional instinct. The effect could be considered comical if it was not for the constant threat of a brutal death looming over their shoulders.

    The story takes on even more of a sense of urgency as Rosko realizes the athletic brunettes who are piling up, sans one kidney, look suspiciously like Valincourt. The murders begin to be personal and move closer to home as they slide into the social circle of both characters. They fight and scrape to stay alive while closing in on the killer.

    Without Consent’s strengths are highlighted in its multifaceted characters. Valincourt, despite severe trauma in her past, rarely is a damsel in distress, and Rosko isn’t just a stereotypical detective, but has a gentle side and a solid presence that serves as a sea of calm in all the chaos.

    The journey into the killer’s mind always leaves the reader feeling unclean. Each point of progression fits logically when presented by a deranged, methodical man. Occasionally, the extra knowledge held by the reader sends shivers down the spine as the police cannot manage to see or prevent disaster before it happens.

    With each kidney the killer takes, he becomes more confident and certain that his path is the right one, while Rosko and Valincourt become more determined to discover any information on how to stop him.

    Despite some heavy foreshadowing, Without Consent will have you reading to the end. And, as in this case, knowing increases the pleasure of each tiny reveal that is carved out with Irwin’s razor sharp writing…like finding the perfect kidney at the end of a long day.

     

  • An Editorial Review of “The Memory Thief” by Emily Colin

    An Editorial Review of “The Memory Thief” by Emily Colin

    What if your life was all about the quest for adventure and danger in climbing the highest mountains, and then your passion killed you? That’s the question faced by Aidan James, who dies in an avalanche on Mount McKinley after promising his family he would come back from Alaska.

    What if the love of your life was a thrill seeker, and you begged him not to go this time because of a sense of foreboding, and he went anyway? And then was lost forever under tons of ice and snow. Maddie, Aidan’s wife, faces conflicting feelings of anger and grief and loss.

    In this eloquent first novel, each character has a personal avalanche of emotions to cope with. J.C., Aidan’s best friend and fellow climber, is racked by grief and survivor’s guilt, but as he strives to comfort Maddie, he also struggles with the secret that he has always loved and wanted her for his own.

    Even four-year-old Gabriel James has secrets he doesn’t know how to handle. His daddy visits him at night but says he cannot stay. He leaves behind a puddle of icy water that Gabe cannot explain to his mother.

    The fatal accident on the mountain even affects Nicholas Sullivan, a stranger who lives on the other side of the country. After a motorcycle accident, Nicholas awakes with no memories of his own life. Instead, his injured brain is filled with visions of fresh snow blowing down his neck, cold fingers wrapped around an ice axe, and a nearly unbearable longing for a mysterious woman and a tiny boy Nicholas has never met.

    Aidan James kept his promise to come back. He just didn’t expect to do it like this. And now everyone, including himself, must find a way to deal with his death, and find a way to move on with their lives. The Memory Thief is a beautifully written story, with evocative descriptions of a love for nature and adventure, a deep appreciation of friends and family, and heart-breaking expressions of regret and grief and lust and joy. This book is a haunting ghost story, but above all, it’s a memorable tale of how, even after a terrible tragedy, love lives on.

  • An Editorial Review of “Spider Catchers” by Marilynn Larew

    An Editorial Review of “Spider Catchers” by Marilynn Larew

    Lee Carruthers is sent to Fez, Morocco to find out what became of Alicia Harmon, a CIA analyst who has gone missing while investigating a potential new source of terrorist funds. So begins The Spider Catchers, Marilynn Larew’s first novel that deals with the battle between the CIA and terrorism.

    Carruthers bemoans receiving the new mission so quickly after just returning from Baghdad. However, she heads back into the field without much persuasion. Once in Fez, she meets with a hostile reception. Each answer she finds only leads to more questions as to why Harmon believes an untouchable Islamic politician is funding a new group of terrorists. Carruthers is methodical in the way she follows each lead, always taking the next logical path.

    While several characters play only incidental bit roles, Larew works hard to ensure between bombings and stakeouts that Carruthers’ important contacts are emphasized. Still, certain characters are sometimes lost in her sea of informants. The plot never falters, even when Alicia Harmon’s motivations are completely obscure to both Carruthers and the reader. The world is real with none of the antiseptic frequently found to ease the burden that comes with reading about terrorism.

    Readers who love a clandestine novel will be pleased with the way Larew weaves her mystery. She allows Lee Carruthers to gather hints and suspicions, but keeps the overarching web of conspiracy shrouded as she builds the tension. A dash of romance coupled with a healthy splash of righteous anger, and The Spider Catchers carries itself quite well. As Carruthers closes in on what Harmon is investigating, the attacks on her become more frequent. She has only a few trusted contacts to rely on, the majority of whom can only be trusted as long as she can pay them.

    The relentless determination with which Carruthers pursues her problems drives The Spider Catchers. Balancing between someone who wants out of Agency life, and someone who cannot stand the atrocities around her, Carruthers focuses on the task at hand with an impressive single-mindedness and a sharp tongue that leaves conservative Moroccans white-knuckled.

    The investigation into a CIA operation, and the suspicion between clandestine agencies places the reader in the same whirlwind of confusion Carruthers deals with on a regular basis. Each clue frustrates and worries the reader as much as it does her. Only in certain moments, as she narrates safely from the future, does Carruthers drop hints and foreshadows. Occasionally the glimpses of the future feel heavy handed, but in most cases they skillfully guide the reader to see clues that might otherwise be missed.

    The Spider Catchers works well within its spy-thriller genre, always maintaining the mystery of what happened to Alicia Harmon at the forefront. The slow clicking into place of all the pieces is a delight, and Carruthers oblivious attitude towards her own nature makes her quite the narrator. This book was a solid read, and the onset of a sequel is cause for excitement.