Monty's Book Reviews

Publishers Blurb Taho-the-Quick, a poacher, has an encounter with the animal totem of his people, the dragon queen, who entrusts him with the dangerous mission of carrying her egg to her dragon brothers up in the mountains. On his journey, Taho-the-Quick will not only have to fight enemies but also join forces with unexpected allies, including the mysterious White Claw, a warrior with unparalleled skills. The survival of the dragon species and that of a whole people will depend on their partnership. Review Most of the comics I read are superhero based by either Marvel or DC so it was a refreshing change to read something a bit different. The artwork is sublime, especially the scenery and landscape panels and the characters are easily recognisable which helps with the flow of the narrative. The story flows well and doesn't get bogged down with extraneous exposition. I like that certain panels are used to convey story points without dialog . This is well worth ...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I found the mix of drama and historical information blended well.   Until reading this title I had no knowledge of the Huguenots so this was a great way to learn about their persecution in catholic France.   The story was captivating and flowed well in most parts. The characters were well developed and overall this is a good read.   My only problems with the book were that there were parts where the narative regurgitated facts that we were already fully conversant with - for example the retelling of the aborted trip to Paris whilst in the prison. The use of french words as greetings felt a bit out of place as the rest of the book was in plain english and I felt it was not necessary to remind us we were in France.   The last point is the overuse of the word hearty when describing meals - not a major problem but one that is easily solved in the edit.   I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in history or Fran...

The Tiger's Tale Undercover Cat Series Book #3 Kelle Z Riley 3.5 Stars Pages: 272 Published: 15 January 2019 Publisher's Blurb Is she hitting her stride? Or going nowhere fast? Fresh from a successful undercover operation, scientist/spy-in-training Bree Watson should feel on top of the world. Instead, the ground is shifting under her feet. When her handler abandons her to follow a lead with his sexy ex-partner, Bree must choose between a normal life, or proving her worth as a spy. Not an easy choice, when she factors in: •A police detective’s amorous intentions •Her handler’s mixed signals •A teaching post at a university filled with intrigue •A dead administrator with a sordid past •A timid tiger and her tenacious trainer—both being framed for murder Combined with fanatic football fans, beatnik poets, an orphaned monkey, a demanding boss, quirky colleagues, and her angry cat, the result may be a recipe for disaster. Can she take the heat? Or will she get burned? “A plot ful...

A Snapshot of Murder Frances Brody 4 Stars Publisher's Blurb Taking the perfect photograph can be murder . . . Yorkshire, 1928. Indomitable sleuth Kate Shackleton is taking a well-deserved break from her detective work and indulging in her other passion: photography. When her local Photographic Society proposes an outing, Kate jumps at the chance to visit Haworth and Stanbury, in the heart of Brontë country, the setting for Wuthering Heights .   But when an obnoxious member of their party is murdered, the group is thrown into disarray. Is the murderer amongst them, or did the loud-mouthed Tobias have more enemies than they might have imagined?    Armed with her wit and wiles, and of course her trusty camera, it's up to Kate to crack the case, and get that perfect shot too . . . Review This is the first Frances Brody novel that I've read and overall it was a good well paced read and has all the hallmarks of a good murder mystery - plenty of suspects...

  Ghost Flight by Bear Grylls 4 Stars Pages: 464 Published: 4 Jun 2015 Publisher: Orion Publisher's Blurb Author of MUD, SWEAT AND TEARS and star of MAN VS. WILD and THE ISLAND, Bear Grylls delivers his action-packed debut novel - the start of a major new adventure series. Haunted by his wife and son's brutal abduction and murder, ex-soldier Will Jaeger runs to the ends of the earth to recover and to hide. But even there he is found, and compelled to undertake one last mission, and to confront a savage past he can barely even remember. Jaeger agrees to lead an expedition into the Mountains of the Gods in the remote Amazon jungle. At the dark heart of this real life Lost World lies a mystery WWII warplane, one that harbours a secret so explosive its very discovery may tear the world asunder. Terrifying forces are hell-bent on keeping the warplane forever hidden. Unwittingly, Will Jaeger is going in against them. But as Jaeger joins a team of former elite warriors - including...

The Camel Club by David Baldacci Publisher's Blurb Existing at the fringes of Washington D.C., the Club consists of four eccentric members. Led by a mysterious man know as "Oliver Stone," they study conspiracy theories, current events, and the machinations of government to discover the "truth" behind the country's actions. Their efforts bear little fruit --- until the group witnesses a shocking murder ... and become embroiled in an astounding, far reaching conspiracy. Now the Club must join forces with a Secret Service agent to confront one of the most chilling spectacles ever to take place on American soil --- an event that may trigger the ultimate war between two different worlds. And all that stands in the way of this apocalypse is five unexpected heroes. Review It seems that there are hordes of books out there that feature plots to kill world leaders, most of them deal with the US President. This one features a group of conspiracy theorists who witness ...

Sparks: Welcome To The Madhouse by Dan Cummings 4 Stars Publisher's Blurb Dave Reynolds has grown jaded with his life, locked in a dead end janitorial job at the Ravenswood Institute for Mental Health, he quietly yearns for some excitement to stir up his mundane existence. That is until he learns that far below the hospital's grounds lies the Madhouse, the regional headquarters of the Frontline Unified Battalion of Arcane Resistance (FUBAR), a clandestine government agency tasked with combating supernatural evil. If that wasn't enough of a surprise, he also learns that he is a Spark, an individual with latent gifts, carrying the residual energy of a nigh extinct race of universal protectors.   Drafted into service, he is accidentally afflicted with a curse, casting the sensible, rational aspects of his personality into a subconscious prison, unleashing a clownish psychotic who is as deadly as he is irritating.   A wild card personified, Dave must now lead Whiskey Team,...