Book Review #12: The Last Refuge

***Note:  This book is not in the public domain.  --Tim

The Last Refuge is the second Peter Brandt thriller by Martin Roy Hill. This book takes place in 1993. Peter Brandt is a freelance journalist and former war corespondent who is hired to write a story about a lawsuit filed by the widow of a guy that was working for a government defense contractor that was killed by friendly fire in Iraq by friendly fire. The widow stated that the last she knew he was working in Germany. After she filed the lawsuit the company said that her husband hadn't worked for them for over a year before he was killed. The government was trying to cover up the incidents of his death and put a gag order on the lawsuit. Peter kept running into roadblocks like these during his investigation and the more he learned, the more somebody was trying to stop him. Who was this guy working for when he was killed and why was he in Iraq? Who is trying to cover-up the incident and why?

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair review. I was intrigued by the story since I was deployed to the area during Operation Desert Storm while I was in the Air Force.  The author wrote the story in such a way that it takes you back to the early 90's and keeps you wanting to read more to see what Peter finds and to figure out who's trying to stop him. I thoroughly enjoyed it with all the thrilling action in it.

Purchase Links:

You can purchase the book in either as an ebook or paperback from the following sites:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Refuge-Martin-Roy-Hill/dp/1518682715/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1476202938&sr=8-2&keywords=martin+roy+hill

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-refuge-martin-roy-hill/1123443727?ean=9781518682711

Tim's Rating: *****
(Five out of five stars)

I'm off to read another book. Check back soon for more reviews.

Book Review # 11: A Study In Scarlet

A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the first of four Sherlock Holmes novels and 56 short stories. This is the book that introduced Holmes, Dr. Watson and Scotland Yard Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade to the world. It starts out by telling how Holmes and Dr. Watson met and follows them, Gregson and Lestrade on a mystery where a dead body was found a house that wasn't lived in at the time. There were no signs of struggle and no visible wounds on the victim which made it more complex.

I like this book by the way it shows how Holmes goes about his investigation and solves clues before any of the experts. I also like how it gives a good background of the victims an the murderer. I'd say that this should be the first book of any Sherlock Holmes stories to read.

Download Links:

This book can be downloaded for free in various ebook formats from:

Project Gutenberg:  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/244

Manybooks:  http://manybooks.net/titles/doyleartetext95study10.html

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Remastered-Study-Scarlet-ebook/dp/B00957RG4C/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475844101&sr=1-3&keywords=a+study+in+scarlet

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-study-in-scarlet-a-novel-arthur-conan-doyle/1026745750?ean=2940022430844


Tim's Rating:  *****
(Five out of five stars)


I'm off to read another book. Check back here periodically for more reviews.

Book Review # 10: Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau

***Note:  This book is not in the public domain.  --Tim

Sherlock Holmes: The Army of Dr. Moreau by Guy Adams is a book that I checked out from the library. In this book Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are investigating some mysterious deaths where the bodies show up in the Thames river or in a rough part of London that is along the Thames. Each of the bodies appeared to be mauled by some sort of animal. They discover that these deaths are related to creatures created by Dr. Moreau which are from the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau which was written in the same time period as some of the earlier Sherlock Holmes stories. In this story Dr. Moreau has been dead for several years before these bodies appear. Sherlock and Dr. Watson are trying to figure out who knows the details of Dr. Moreau's work and are experimenting with them and beyond.

This story is interesting, but I'd prefer to have more original characters. In this book the author borrows characters from not only H.G. Wells novels, but also from books written by Jules Verne, other books that are not Sherlock Holmes related by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Rice Burroughs and he even states it at the end of the book. I also don't like that he is turning Sherlock into science fiction by him chasing monsters that did not exist in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century which is the time setting of most of the Sherlock Homes books are set.

Purchase Links:

This book can be purchased as either an ebook or paperback at the following sites:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Army-Doctor-Moreau-ebook/dp/B005UFBXEM/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1475095778&sr=1-3&keywords=guy+adams

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sherlock-holmes-adams-guy/1112180651?ean=9780857689344

Tim's Rating:  ***
(Three out of five stars)

I'm off to read another book. Check back here periodically for more reviews.

Book Review # 9: The Golden Skull

To start out, I need to apologize for not posting anything here for over a month.  A combination of being busy and my health problems caused a big portion of that.  I started going through treatment for some of my health problems earlier this week that should help out.

The Golden Skull is the tenth book in the Rick Brant series by John Blaine.  In this book Rick and Scotty accompany Dr. Tony Briotti, an archaeologist with the Spindrift Foundation, to a mountainous area with aborigines to find some lost sacred relics, the largest of which  is a golden skull.  The problem is that there are others trying to find the same items through them, some of them for monetary reasons, others for religious.  Like the other books in the series that I've reviewed there are many adventures encountered along the way.

Yes, this a boys series book from the 1950's, but as I said in an earlier review, I like reading some of these boys and girls series books because they have adventures in them that keep you riveted throughout the book.  Just like the other ones in the series I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Download Links:

Project Gutenberg:  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32270

Many Books:  http://manybooks.net/titles/goodwinh3227032270-8.html

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Skull-Brant-Science-Adventure-Story-ebook/dp/B01B7QKD66/ref=sr_1_11?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1473992793&sr=1-11&keywords=rick+brant

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-golden-skull-john-blaine/1113564572?ean=2940011950162

Tim's Rating: ****
(Four out of five stars)

Book Review # 8: The Rocket's Shadow

     The Rocket's Shadow is the first book in the Rick Brant series.  It's about Rick and his new friend Scotty trying to find who is behind the mishaps and disappearances  of items from the rocket that the Spindrift Foundation is working on for a contest.  There is a lot of adventure in this one just like the other books in the series.

     I was looking around for this book and was starting think that I would have to try to find it at the library.  I then discovered that I could download it from Amazon for 99 cents.  I still have money on my account from gift cards that I got for Christmas, so I decided to purchase it.  I'm glad I did.

Purchase Link

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Rockets-Shadow-Brant-Electronic-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01BR1645K/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470751112&sr=1-2&keywords=rick+brant#nav-subnav

Tim's Rating:  ****
(Four out of five stars)

Book Review # 7: The Caves Of Fear

     The Caves Of Fear is the eighth book in the Rick Brant series  by John Blaine (Harold Leeland Goodwin).  After deciphering a telegram from Chahda, a boy from India that worked for the Spindrift Foundation in some of the earlier books, Rick, Scotty and Hobart Zircon, a nuclear physicist for the foundation, go on a mission to Asia for the U.S. government that was related to the telegram.  Their mission is to find the source of heavy water that has been being sold and schools all over Asia.  They have a lot of adventures in the process and travel across Asia to find the source and Rick puts his latest invention to good use throughout these adventures.  Parts of the book made me think that they could make a good story for a adventure or RPG game.

Downloads:

Project Gutenberg:  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32269
Many Books:  http://manybooks.net/titles/blainejo3226932269-8.html

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Brant-Science-Adventure-Halcyon-Classics-ebook/dp/B004ELAGZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470668437&sr=1-1&keywords=Rick+Brant#nav-subnav

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rick-brant-science-adventure-series-john-blaine/1028374760?ean=2940011865343

Tim's Rating:  *****
(Five out of five)

Book Review #6: Smugglers' Reef

     Smugglers' Reef  is the seventh book in the Rick Brant book, a boy's series book, written by John Blaine (pseudonym for Harold Leeland Goodwin), but the first in the Public Domain as an ebook.  Rick Blaine and his best friend Don "Scotty" Scott are junior technicians in the Spindrift Foundation which is a society of scientists that live and work on Spindrift Island. This book starts out when there friend Jerry Webster, a reporter for the local newspaper, gets a phone call from his local editor about a fishing trawler crashing on Smugglers' Reef.  Rick and Scotty ride along with Jerry  and notice that the capatin of the ship and his wife both seem to be scared.  Rick decides that he wants to solve this mystery, so along with Scotty, Jerry and Cap'n Mike, a new acquaintance, work on solving it.  There are many twists and turns in this book with a lot of adventure.

     I found out about this series from my friend Marty who knows I like to read Bo;s series books and he informed me that some of the books are now in the Public Domain as ebooks. I am introducing a new feature in this book where I will include download links that you can download or read the books online. I will also include links for purchasing the books from Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes & Noble (Nook).  Both of these sites have free apps available for your computer, tablets and smartphones where you can read these books.

    If you know of any boy's series and girl's series books from the early 1900's that you like, please let me know in the comments below.

Download Links:

Project Gutenberg:  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28849
Many Books:  http://manybooks.net/titles/blainejo2884928849-8.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rick-Brant-Science-Adventure-Halcyon-Classics-ebook/dp/B004ELAGZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1470668437&sr=1-1&keywords=Rick+Brant#nav-subnav

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rick-brant-science-adventure-series-john-blaine/1028374760?ean=2940011865343

Tim's Rating: ****
(Four out of five stars)