The Devil's Right Hand by JD Rhoades

Bueno

JD Rhoades is an attorney, which makes sense because of his initials. And someone that shares the same initials with JD Sumner (from JD Sumner and the Stamps, Elvis' background vocals in the 70's) can't be half bad from the get-go.

This is another one that I picked up for free, along with a couple more of his books. It seems that The Devil's Right Hand was originally published by St. Martin's back in 2005, and now Rhoades has the rights back and is offering it directly (good for him).

The book met my requirements as a Free Book Freeloader, and I put it in the queue (along with a few hundred others). I read the blurb, checked out his website and blog, and came away with the idea that Rhoades was a pretty affable guy.

I really enjoyed this book. Great characters, plot, dialogue, and just flat out good writing. There weren't necessarily any surprises, but the plot convergence at the end of the story came together well, and with a lot of suspense, to boot.

I'm generally loathe to compare folks to other authors, but if you like Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey or Ben Rehder, you will like The Devil's Right Hand. (This is a little more serious and suspenseful than those, though.)

I picked it up for free, but I would have paid for it. And I'll read more of his stuff. Like I say, what better rec can I give? Great job, JD. Fo' Stars.

Stonewall's Rating system here. Since this is published directly, I consider this an Indie for my purposes.
Amazon equivalent: 4.5 Stars

Bangkok Burn by Simon Royle

Bueno

One guess where this is set. Bangkok Burn is a fun book with some quirky characters and a fast plot. I discovered the book while I was scavenging for free books, and I'm glad I found it. (It's back to the regular price now, but worth the dinero.)

Royle does a good job providing insight to Thai culture and mores. Ample description of the city and of rural scenes, but not too much (which I prefer). Great dialogue and a well thought-out plot; all loose ends were tied up.

I'll admit at times I had trouble keeping things straight, but Royle continues to give you what you need to know, and I found myself straightened out quickly enough.

I don't really know much about the author, but it seems he's a Brit living in Bangkok. Makes sense - he knew enough to write about it.

I liked these characters and I'd like to see them again (Mr. Royle?). If you want a thriller with a new setting, I'd recommend Bangkok Burn. If you just want a thriller, I'd still recommend it.

Bring these characters back, Khun Simon. Fo' Stars.

Stonewall's rating system here.

The Shopkeeper by James D. Best

Bueno

Let's see, the last western I probably read was Lonesome Dove (which qualifies as a Stonewall Five Star, since I would read it again). I'll take that back: I read a couple of John Locke's Emmett Love books (good, quick reads, by the way).

So, with my predilection for free books (or the actual search for them, as discussed here), I stumbled across James D. Best's The Shut Mouth Society. Recognizing his name a few weeks later with yet more libros por no dinero, I hit the free book hat trick: three free Best westerns (get it?) in his Steve Dancy series.

At this point in my life, I'm looking for quick, fun, interesting reads. Enough of reading the description of an azalea for five pages - I want some fun without all the prose.

The Shopkeeper did not disappoint. It's well written with deep characters (that we care about) and a swift plot that keeps the pages turning.  The descriptions of the vast Nevada country are ample without the overkill. Great dialogue and a well contrived plot. One caveat: the formatting needs to be fixed, but it didn't deter me from the story.

I'll read the rest of his work at some point. Great yob, Yimmy. Fo' Stars.

Stonewalls rating system here. I think this was originally published by a small press, but I categorize it as an Indie for my purposes.

I Really Don't Want to Know

A song you don't hear too often. This from one of his last concerts in 1977. He's sporting the Mexican Sundial and hits all of the notes. Now with Spanish subtitles!

Viking Warrior by Judson Roberts

New Cover

First things first. The new (indie) cover: ouch. The old (publisher's) cover: looks like it was being marketed to a YA audience. For the most part, I avoid books that have covers with pictures of faces, but I saw the new (terrible) cover first.

Not sure how I stumbled upon Viking Warrior. I've read all of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Series, so I assume it came up in Amazons also-boughts.

This is the first installment of our hero, Halfdan, a thrall that is granted his freedom on his father's deathbed. Although this seems to have been originally marketed to YA, it still has all of the raping, pillaging, and decapitating that we expect in a Viking Warrior book.

It felt like a shorter read, but the characters are well developed and the action is strong. Like Cornwell, Roberts goes in-depth with his description, which I get a flavor for, then unceremoniously skip.

Old Cover

Roberts is a good writer, as evidenced by the fact that I read this in a couple of days (again, it wasn't terribly long). Do not let the cover abominations deter you: I will be reading the next installment of Halfdan, Dragons from the Sea, despite his portfolio of atrocious covers. If you like Uhtred, you should give Viking Warrior a drive.

Bueno, Judson: Fo' stars.


Stonewall's rating system here.

Hunter by Robert Bidinotto

Bueno

Hunter is the debut novel from a former crime journalist (Reader's Digest, among others). I first discovered it from Kindle Boards and have since tracked its success. It was chosen by Amazon as an Editor's Pick (or the like) and had sales that went through the ionosphere. Sales that were justified.

Overall, the book is an entertaining read. It has vigilantes, spooks (CIA, not goblins), and other assorted bad guys. Bidinotto does a good job with description (sometimes a little too much, but that's just me) and does a great job developing the characters.

As far as the plot, well, you've probably read it before (see my Prometheus Deception review). However, what Hunter has as its leitmotif is the flaws in the judicial system, which you will recall in my first paragraph, the author is a former crime journalist. But not just that, it seems that he has reported on (and been a proponent of) victim's rights, going so far as (if I infer correctly) breaking the story that stirred up the Willie Horton fiasco (think Dukakis' demise).

The flaws in the justice system ("rehabilitating" criminals instead of punishing them) are overt from the beginning, but you are not beaten over the head with them. He gets his point across smoothly and also presents the rehabilitation side, though, again, it is clear which side he favors. (He calls the soft-on-crime syndicate "enablers.") It was also refreshing to see the CIA in a better light than it is normally portrayed in thrillers: an easy scapegoat for unimaginative writers.

There is some romance in Hunter, probably more than my taste allows, but he does well bringing out the characters' motives and emotions.

The book runs over four hundred pages, which is a little longer than the thrillers we see nowadays. Cut out some of the romance, we're back down to three fifty and none the worse for wear.

Back to the plot: there aren't really any surprises. I knew who did what and figured out how it would end, but he built the suspense and it was a good ride. I'll read his next book - what better rec can I give? Great job, Roberto. Fo' Stars.

Don't forget to pick your wife up something on the way home or you'll be nailed to a tree. Happy Valentine's Day, Stonewallians.

Stonewall's rating system here.

Bridge

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Great version from Greensboro, 1972.