Release Day Review: A Cold Summer Sky: An Asher Radman Mystery by John Charles #Review #Giveaway

Title: A Cold Summer Sky: An Asher Radman Mystery Book 1
Author: John Charles 
Publication Date: April 5, 2019
Length: 127 pages

Reviewed by Jenn


Synopsis

Sawyer Wahlstrom, CEO of Fidelity Independent Research Group (FIRG) rarely opened email from someone he didn’t know.  This one was different.
The subject line read Stop the NuHygen project or the next one will die.
The attached video showed a car being sideswiped, run off the road, and crashing into a line of parked cars at the school bus stop.  Children were screaming and it was apparent the driver of the sideswiped car was badly injured.
Asher Radman, special Investigations Unit of The FBI was tasked with finding answers, but he immediately hit a brick wall.
Everyone in the rural town of Thompsonville was hiding something.  What is NuHygen and why would someone go to extremes to stop its development.
Simple questions, or so he thought, until his search for answers puts his own life in jeopardy.

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Review

I’ll start by saying this is not a romance, but an incredible mystery! I loved this book, I loved FBI agent, Asher Radman!

 Radman is called in to investigate the attempted murder of a researcher working for Fidelity Independent Research Group. The FIRG employee is involved in a hit and run accident meant to kill him. The CEO of the company, Sawyer Wahlstrom has received some cryptic emails and knows they need help.

 When Asher and his partner, Garrot arrive to find an almost picture perfect town, they are definitely suspicious. What I loved the most about this book is that it’s such a “who done it?” Everyone is suspected and almost everyone has motive.

 What FIRG is working on, the research being done is life changing. Anyone and everyone wants in on this, the monetary value of this project is priceless. Asher Radman reminds me of the detectives I read as a kid, he’s the smartest guy in the room and you don’t realize it till it’s too late. I’m so excited that this is Book One and we’ll get to see more of this guy. If you love a good mystery, this is most certainly a book for you!

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Release Day Review: 11 Seconds by John Charles #Review #Giveaway

Author: John Charles
Title: 11 Seconds
Publisher: Manifest Vision Publishing
Publication Date: August 9, 2018
Length: 199 pages

Reviewed by Jenn

Synopsis

In a world dominated by greed and political loyalties, the line between right and wrong is often completely blurred.
He wanted more than revenge.  His was a vendetta, a vendetta that he was capable of carrying out.  Tenodod was a cyber hacker who knew how to use the skills he developed while working for one of the most powerful systems developers in the world.  Only now, he was using those talents to bring down Bertram Lynnworth, Chairman and CEO of ESTG, and would continue until his vendetta was fulfilled, no matter who got hurt in the process.
Mystery, romance, and intrigue in a suspense filled thriller that will leave you asking how to protect yourself and your family.
We Own You appeared on every monitor in every ESTG facility around the world.  There Is No Escape voiced the laughing clown as Tenodod took over every system within the company.
Hackers can steal your identity, control your car, access your secret files.  What if one had a grip on your beating heart?  What if it only took 11 seconds?
Tenodod would make Bertram crawl for what he did to all those innocent people.  Unfortunately, Marc Lynnworth, Bertram's unsuspecting son, and hundreds of others, would become pawns in Tenodod's evil plot.  "I never wanted anyone to die; I only wanted your father to see the error of his ways."
A suspenseful, mind-piercing look into the very real secrets of cyber terrorism.
With a plot so real, you'll keep looking over your shoulder.  11 Seconds will draw you in and make you wonder not if - but when will it happen to you?

Buy Links

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Review

This was a very interesting read for me, while I love a good mystery...I am lost when it comes to technology. This book is all about cyber security and cyber crime and a lot of the tech speak was way over my head. Lol. It does not interfere with the story line at all, even the clueless like me can follow along.

 What I found so intriguing about this story is that Tenodod (bad guy) and Theatzoon (good guy) are flip sides of a coin. They both process the same basic skills, really not basic at all. These two are hardcore hackers, but where one chooses to do good, the other chooses to go bad.

The family dynamics that play into Marc’s (Theatzoon) life cause quite a few plot twists. We have a love affair with Kyler, family drama, a crazy hacker wanting to destroy the world, every government alphabet agency involved in a race against time. In the center of all of this, it’s often easy to forget that Marc is just a college student who has been thrust into all this crazy.

 One thing I  would have like to have seen was a little more romance, even though I know it's not labeled romance. This is such an intense book throughout, a little more stolen moments between Marc and Kyler would have been nice, but that's just me, just my preference.  This was a good read, the author did a great job of hiding the bad guy. There is a lot going on, but it all has purpose and in the end, you really are rooting for good to conquer evil. All in all, I really enjoyed this one. John Charles is a newer author for me and has some other titles I’m definitely interested in reading. 

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Release Day Review: Zero Warning by John Charles #Review #Giveaway

Author: John Charles
Title: Zero Warning
Asher Radman~ By The Numbers
Publisher: Manifest Vision
Publication Date: May 14, 2018

Reviewed by Jenn

Synopsis

When FBI agent Mateo Hachman took the undercover assignment, he knew the risks.  Infiltrate the Proveedores Consortium and get enough on them to bring down the inner circle. 

It took almost five years, but Mateo not only infiltrated the consortium, he was elevated to the prestigious inner circle.  From his vantage point, he provided enough evidence to bring down Demarco Sanchez the head of the Proveedores as well as over a dozen high level members.  For decades, Sanchez was the target of every agency in the US.  He had his fingers in everything from drugs, to contraband, to counterfeit designer handbags.  But they never could gain enough evidence to arrest him.  With Mateo's testimony, he received multiple life sentences.  He would never see the light of day again.

When henchman Abraham Garceau was sentenced for multiple counts of murder, he swore he'd find a way to torture Mateo until he begged to die. 

Eight years later, Mateo had a new name, new career, and new life.  In those eight years, he never stopped looking over his shoulder, never let his defenses slip, and never got close to anyone until he met Isaac Konners.  Konners was everything he wanted in a partner.  Getting close to Isaac would mean breaking his personal vow and endangering an innocent person.  Yet, Isaac wormed his way into his heart, took hold, and wouldn't let go.

In what appeared to be an inside job, Garceau escaped from a prisoner transport van and disappeared.  Several weeks later, a video played on every news channel.  A close-up of Garceau looking into the camera filled the screen.

"This video is for one person and one person only - Mateo Hachman.  I promised I'd get you no matter how long it took and now that I'm free of that f*cked up prison and those bullsh*t guards; I intend to keep my promise." 

Suddenly Mateo was pulled into the worst nightmare anyone could have imagined.  The one man who could and would find him was promising to do just that.  Revenge was strong with Garceau and his word was law.  He never broke his word.

Did he know where to look?  Did he know Mateo's new name?  What about his new looks?  And what about Isaac?  How could he protect Isaac from that lunatic?

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Review

I’ve always been a fan of books based on law enforcement and this one has an interesting twist. It’s the story told after the law enforcement agent has done his job after the undercover work is over.

Mateo Hachman is living a new life, one that comes with a new name and hopefully no more looking over his shoulder. As the person who went undercover and infiltrated the Proveedores Consortium, he is largely responsible for their demise. This operation is successful but comes with a price. Abraham Garceau is the muscle for PC’s leader and had sworn revenge.

Mateo is happily living a pretty quiet and somewhat lonely life and then he sees him. Isaac Konners is the man that may make Mateo fully start living again. He’s smart, his field of study is interesting, he’s handsome...he’s not the type of man you just walk away from. Mateo has to decide whether or not he could be endangering Isaac by being with him and if the choice is even his still to make. Isaac has gotten under his skin in a big way and without warning has become very important to him.

This was my first John Charles book and I really enjoyed it. I like the way he built the intrigue and the romance. John also does a really great job of establishing a friendship between his main characters that was really special. I love when you see a couple that just truly like being together and he gives us that. I love seeing “the sins of your past” coming back and how someone deals with that past as the person they’ve grown to be. Really good read and as someone who loves the idea of hiding in plain sight, this was a great book for me.

This was right up my alley! 

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Release Day Review: Architect of Love by John Charles #Review #Giveaway

Author: John Charles
Book: Architect of Love
Series: Fated Soulmates #2
Publisher: Manifest Vision Publishing
Publication date: December 1, 2016
Length: 112 Pages




Reviewed by Meredith



Synopsis

He could work miracles with His Hands

Lance Bartner loved working with his hands, made his living refinishing furniture. Nights out were for fun with friends and the occasional hook-up. Though the L word had never been spoken, he would have enjoyed a relationship had the right man crossed his path. But who would want a laborer like Lance? He wasn't college educated, didn't live in a fancy loft condo, didn't drive a Lexus, and didn't even
own a suit.

Forrest Dentren, was an architect and city planner who had become a local name when his design for the Monroe City Center was chosen as one of the top three contenders. Well educated, extremely well built, and as both men and women put it, just plain hot. Some said he was married to his job, others said he was too picky, many said he didn't want to share the spotlight.

One hot, uninhibited sex-filled night

When Forrest broke his routine and went clubbing on a weeknight, he spotted Lance. The attraction was immediate from both sides of the dance floor. They both felt it. A few drinks later, still feeling it, they left for Lance's apartment.

It was never supposed to turn into anything more than one hot fuck

Two people from opposite ends of the world, no roadmap, not directions, no ideas how to make it work.

Architect Of Love is a hot and steamy, gay romance novel with no cliffhangers. It is the second book in The Fated Soulmates series and can be read as a standalone.

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Review

Forrest is an architect, rich, hot, and a local celebrity. He is also well educated... pretty much what a perfect person might be.

Lance is a handy man of sorts. He refinishes furniture, he has little education, he is hot though! But he's pretty much the opposite of Forrest.

I related with Lance a lot because I've felt a lack of self worth before. Thinking you can't possibly be good enough for the Forrests of the world; that a one night stand is as far as anything could come of with a person of wealth and social standing.

Forrest isn't a bad guy and Lance absolutely was struggling with his own perceptions of himself in this. My heart was sad when they broke apart... but don't panic, great loves are fought over!

This novella really tells the story of two men who fall in love with each other. We see that before Lance finds out how wealthy Forrest is. Getting that hardcore love back is what the journey is all about.

This is a very enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to other books in this series.

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