The Sholes Key and 11th Hour

Don’t you just love a crime fiction adventure now and then? Today I’d like to share my opinion about 2 interesting thrillers with you. One is the debut release by a friend and fellow blogger and the other is by a writing duo that have a number of bestsellers under their belt. Both are very captivating stories.

THE SHOLES KEY by Clarissa Draper

When a story keeps you thinking about it after you put the book down, then you know you’re hooked.

THE SHOLES KEY was such a book for me. Author Clarissa Draper has created 2 intriguing protagonist with a storyline that will not only keep you guessing, but will also have you trying to decode the cryptic messages.

When Lorna McCauley leaves her young son home sick, Detective Inspector Theophilus “Theo” Blackwell is called in to investigate. At first it appears to be a woman who has run away. However, Theo’s investigation finds a number of young women haven been vanishing in London.

Meanwhile, MI5 analyst Sophia Evans is working undercover to apprehend the leader of an animal rights group before they bomb again. Sophia is good at cracking codes but new to the world of undercover work. She may have gotten too close to the leader for her own good.

Sophia receives an envelope containing a photo of Lorna McCauley’s body and a cryptic code. As more pieces of the code are found, it’s up to Sophia and Theo to work together to find the killer before another woman is abducted.

The characters are well defined with the supporting characters adding bits of humor and flavor to the mix. The dialogue flows smoothly making the transition from killer to victim to cops and back again with ease. There is a hint of attraction between the lead characters with each harboring their own issues and secrets.

Modern-day London makes for an interesting backdrop to this story of suspense and mystery. This story will give you pause to consider the mindless actions we do each day and how dangerous they could be.

THE SHOLES KEY is a great start to what promises to be a fascinating series featuring Sophia and Theo. I’m looking forward to when these 2 meet again.

Author Clarissa Draper’s website is http://clarissadraper.blogspot.com/

The Sholes Key by Clarissa Draper, An Evans and Blackwell Mystery, WiDo Publishing, @2012, Paperback, ISBN: 978-1937178147, 314 Pages, Kindle Edition, ASIN: B007XU212K, 410 KB   

FTC Full Disclosure - An electronic version of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

 

11TH HOUR by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Being pregnant doesn’t slow Detective Lindsay Boxer down as she and her partner take on not one, but two bizarre murder cases at once.

The first case has a rogue cop gunning down untouchable drug dealers. When millionaire Chaz Smith, a known drug kingpin, is gunned down at his daughter’s school, new evidence come to light. Smith is really an undercover federal agent and the guns used in the shootings have been taken from the police department’s evidence locker.

The second case take Boxer to the estate of a world-famous actor. Years earlier the actor had been tried and found innocent of his own wife’s murder despite her body never being found.

This time two severed heads are found in the actor’s garden with two index cards and a possible code. Could more heads and bodies be buried in the garden?

As Boxer works to solve both cases and stop any further killings, she also faces difficult decisions on the home front. It seems her husband Joe may have been doing more than just working with his former partner.

Narrator January LaVoy does a wonderful job bringing the story to life. She delivers a full range of emotions as the story unfolds. LaVoy’s interpretation of the rogue cop will have listeners temporary on his side as he attempts to right a wrong.

Patterson and Paetro once again bring the cast of the Women’s Murder Club together for an action adventure filled with suspense at a heart-pounding pace. As the group races to stop two killers, bits of their personal lives are also woven in for more realism. Once you start 11TH HOUR you won’t be able to stop until you know where all the bodies are buried and why. 

11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, The Women’s Murder Club, Read by January LaVoy, Hachette Audio, @2012, ISBN: 978-1607884651, Unabridged, 6 CDs, Listening Time Approximately 7 Hours   

FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

 

Do you enjoy gripping crime fiction? Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope everyone had a great holiday or just a fun weekend.