Saturday, November 30, 2013

"The Spark"



“The Spark” is about a firefighter, Donny Robertson, who goes from problem to problem as he tries to solve the killing of his friend, Fitz.  Fitz’s death looks innocent enough to everyone but Donny.  It began when Fitz and Donny answered a call that seemed to be a routine fire. Once in the building, Fitz got split up from Donny when he tried to save a man in an office, who turned out to be dead before the fire was set. Fitz was caught in the room and burned to death.  The fire was ruled an accident, but Donny thought differently.  He just could not accept what the other firefighters were saying.  So, he started to dig into the cause of the fire.  In doing so, he found himself the subject of an assassin.  However, that did not stop him from snooping around and he eventually met “The Spark”, who was hired to kill the inventor who was the original target.


“The Spark” is a first-time novel by John Kenny that was first available last month.  It is the most exciting first-time book that I have ever read.  It is full of tension and suspense.  Kenny has a background in firefighting, so it gives the reader a peek into a firefighter’s exciting life.  I, for one, am waiting for Mr. Kenny to decide to write another book, as his style is fast-paced and easy to follow.  I would suggest this book to anyone who is a fan of suspense, drama or mystery.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

"Power" by Debra Webb


“Power” by Debra Webb is the third book in the series, “The Faces of Evil”.  It covers a week in the life of Deputy Chief Jess Harris.  It is not as fast paced as the first two installments, but still Jess solves two very different cases.  One was an unexpected murder that took place in a high class dance class.  The co-owner and dance teacher is killed in the first few pages.  As the victim lay dying, the killer whispered a cryptic message in her ear.  “Dead ballerinas don’t get to dance”.  Jess has too many suspects and too little time to solve this mystery.
In the meanwhile, a young man disappears from his grandparents’ loving home.  This baffling case leads to the demolition of Jess’ hotel room.  There, another message is scrawled on the wall with spray paint, like graffiti; “THE RAGE HAS STARTED”.  This is the beginning of a street gang war, in which a brother and sister fight for the lead position of the most powerful gang in the area.

“Power” was not my favorite of the series so far, but it was still well-written with Ms. Webb’s style of tension and suspense.  I enjoy this series’ characters, especially Jess and Burnett, whose history together adds another layer to the mystery.  The next book in the series is “Rage”, which I am excited to read.