Pulse by Jeremy Robinson

When you read Pulse, you have to suspend your belief system. It's one of those fun book you need to just sit back and enjoy and not think too much about reality. Since the book involves an elite military fighting force, you can expect a lot of action and detailed descriptions of the soldiers weapons. It took me a while to identify with the characters because Jeremy Robinson used call signs rather than real names, which for me took away from the individuals in the story. But that wasn't what the story was about. It was to establish the Chest Team and the world the author was creating. And knowing Pulse is book one in a series, I realized that getting to know the four member team will come with each book. If you're looking for a quick, fun read, Pulse is for you. I will definitely look for more books in the series in the near future.

This Ain't No Hearts and Flowers Love Story Pt1 by Brooklyn Darkchild

First off, I’m not a romance reader. The title of the book, This Ain't No Hearts and Flowers Love Story Pt1, clearly indicates that this would not be a typical romance novel but I had my doubts at first. That was until I read the first page. Though the book talks about the harsh realities of abandonment, drugs and sexuality, it also has its fair share of humor and overcoming hardships. I was drawn into the story by the author’s writing. The characters were described in rich details and you were made to feel as if you are a part of Baby Girl’s life. The only difficult time I had with the book was with the font size. It was too small for the pages, but that’s my beef and should not deter other readers from picking up this wonderful novel.

Vanished by Joseph Finder

Joseph Finder did follow the hero rulebook with the creation of Nick Heller:

Special Forces background (check)
Troubled childhood (check)
Has trouble with authority (check)
Can punch his way out of a situation (check)
Loner (check)
Cracks cynical jokes when a pistol is pointed at his face (check)
Tough guy with a good heart (check)

What sets Nick Heller apart from the others is that Finder places him in a business environment (Heller is a corporate investigator). Heller isn’t fighting against a corrupt politician with his own personal agenda or terrorists groups whose goals are to tear down the government. No, Nick Heller isn’t scuffling with Bob the accountant, tossing paperclips at each other in the break room either--that would have been boring. Heller does face off with well-trained, well-armed private security personnel and must locate the individuals responsible for the abduction his older brother.

There’s plenty of action, suspense, good humor and mystery to satisfy everyone. The book is a quick read and Heller is a likable character. I’m looking forward to reading the further adventures of Nick Heller.

The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green

I don't recall that I've ever read a book that even came close to the number fight sequences in this book. How, Simon R. Green managed to write a solid story with likable characters amidst the mayhem is a surprise to me.
Edwin Drood a loyal but rebellious member of the Drood family as always thought of himself as fighting the good fight. After receiving a mission from the head of the Drood family, Edwin expected danger. What he didn't expect was to be called a rogue agent and to be hunted by his own family.
Edwin teams up with one of his most hated enemy to find out the truth and to clear his name. But on the path toward the truth, he quickly finds a new danger in the world whose primary goal is to destroy the Drood family.
Man with the Golden Torc is book one in a series. Simon R. Green provided laughs, lots of actions and a family secret that changes everything for Edwin Drood.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

This book was a fun read. Harry Dresden is hired by the police to investigate whether magic was used to violently murder a hooker and a mob enforcer during a night of love making. During the course of a few days, Harry is ordered off the case by a mob boss, confronts a vampire and must deal with his overzealous watcher, who by the way thinks that Harry is the killer.

At the same time, Harry is working on a second case involving a wife's missing husband.

Jim Butcher creatively combined classic PI detective and fantasy. I'm normally a slow reader, but the story was so entertaining, I found that I had a hard time putting Storm Front down.

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley

The Long Fall by Walter Mosley introduces a new PI named Leonid McGill. A little background on McGill: He is African-American, average height, a boxer in a previous life, the son of a communist, married to a woman who had children by other men during their marriage and used to take on unscrupulous jobs if paid the right price. With all that said, McGill is trying to make up for his past by taking jobs that won’t ruin the lives of others. But sometimes getting out of the life is hard to do.

Mosley weaved together a great story of personal redemption while maintaining an excellent mystery. McGill, with all his flaws, is a likable character that you want to see succeed. By using his experience as a former boxer and using his own interpretation of what his communist father was trying to teach him as a child, McGill fights his way through several dangerous scraps and uses insight that is uncommon in most mystery novels.

Cross Country by James Patterson

Alex Cross is thrust into an investigation unlike any he has ever faced. The killer known as The Tiger, uses children to commit terrible murders. When an old frame of Alex's is murdered, he follows the Tiger all the way to Africa, where the police are more than unfriendly. With little help from the CIA and no official authority in African, Alex quickly discovers that bringing the Tiger to American justice will be impossible.

The difficulty of catching the Tiger pales in comparison to the plight of the African people Alex soon realizes. The brutality of war, rape, and how the world is ignoring these travesties are brought out in Patterson's book for all to see.

Patterson does not hold his punches, which is why I think this story may be offputting to some people. Still, Cross Country is definitely worth reading.

Infinite Crisis - Part One by Greg Cox

Superheroes around the world are facing three threats; one from a group of supervillians who have banded together and led by Lex Luther; the second threat is from an advance security system created by Batman to watch other superheroes. The system eventually began thinking on its own coming up with its own agenda, altering human dna and changing them into unthinking cybernetic warriors, whose sole role is to hunt down and destroy super powered beings; the threat comes from an insane supernatural being called the Spectre, his goal is to destroy all magic. On top of all this danger, the three founding members of the Justice League (Superman, Wonder Woman & Batman) have personal grudges against one another and will no longer fight as a team.

With a full cast and super sound effects, the audio production was excellent. I could picture all the action and felt the emotional turmoil of the characters. There was an underwater fight scene where the voices were a little annoying but it wasn't enough to distract from the story telling. I recommend this book.