Summer Reading: Capsule Reviews

Finally, with school behind me for the summer, I’ve been able to get to some reading. First up was catching up on some of the friend/colleague books that I had piled up on my Kindle. I realized I have some talented friends. Here are some capsule reviews, in reverse order to the time frame in which I read them.

The Drifter Detective, by Garnett Elliott:  This is from Beat to a Pulp, a small press publishing juggernaut.

Jack Laramie is a descendant of Cash Laramie, known as the Outlaw Marshall. Cash was a lawman and Jack is in a similar business, working as a private eye. He limps into a small Texas town with a truck that's falling apart under him and gets a job working for the local sheriff. Everything is not as it seems, though, and those who try to use a Laramie soon find they've got a tiger by the tail. Note, in length, this is between a long short story and a novella.

Link is Here: http://www.amazon.com/Drifter-Detective-Jack-Laramie-ebook/dp/B00BVRQWMQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369599023&sr=1-1&keywords=The+drifter+detective

Hard Case, by Bernard Lee DeLeo:

This is the kind of book they mean when someone says a book is "action packed." Seldom does the main character, John Harding, sit still. Whether fighting brutal bouts in ultimate fighting style arenas, or fighting terrorists or modern day pirates, Harding moves quick and hits harder. He'd be a good friend to have, and a terrible enemy. Of course, he wouldn't be your enemy for long. You'd pretty quickly be dead.  Note: This is a full length novel. Link is Here: http://www.amazon.com/HARD-CASE-Book-Harding-ebook/dp/B0083NUPY2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369599755&sr=1-1&keywords=hard+case

Deadlock, by James Reasoner: A Judge Earl Stark tale. (Nuff Said, but I’ll say a little more.):

I'm a huge fan of the Judge Earl Stark series by James Reasoner. This current entry is top notch. In length, it's a long short story, and a quick and entertaining read. Reasoner knows how to get the action going instantly as Stark arrives in a town where a lynching is threatened. As usual, he's instantly in the middle of the drama. Highly recommended.

Link is Here: http://www.amazon.com/Deadlock-Judge-Stark-Western-ebook/dp/B00B0JLIW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369599858&sr=1-1&keywords=deadlock%2C+reasoner

Mistik, by O’Neil de Noux:

I'm not quite sure how to categorize this one. A young man in New Orleans begins to discover that he has superpowers and becomes a masked crime fighter. Then he meets a girl with similar powers. They fall in love. Or do they? There's a pretty big mystery behind it all, which is revealed in the end. Good stuff.  Note: This is novella in length. Link is Here: http://www.amazon.com/Mistik-Superhero-ebook/dp/B00AAIKVW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369599996&sr=1-1&keywords=mistik%2C+de+noux

Blood and Skin, by Steve Malley:

An exciting thriller with some nice twists and turns at the end. I particularly didn't see coming the identity of the primary villain, although after the reveal it made perfect sense. The hero of the story is a tattoo artist with an interesting back story. I also know the author is a tattoo artist as well, so there is some really interesting insider information in the work. How much of the rest of the protagonist's back story is based on the writer's own life is open to question, I suppose. Note: This is a full length novel. Link is Here: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-and-Skin-ebook/dp/B009FUA434/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369600108&sr=1-1&keywords=blood+and+skin%2C+malley

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