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	Reading and writing have been a passion for Laurie Wood since winning city-wide writing contests in Grade Five and Eight. Her favourite genres are romantic suspense, mysteries, and a good spine-tingling thriller. She loves to judge contests as well as enter them, and is active in several RWA Chapters. Although published in non-fiction articles, she's yet to grab the golden ring of being published in novel-length fiction. Until then, she writes at home and takes care of her two special needs children, an alpha male husband who inspires her heroes, and a golden retriever who thinks she's just a kid in fur.

HAWKE
By Ted Bell
Pocket Star Books
Originally published in Hardcover by Atria Books 2003
Pocket Book Edition June 2004
ISBN: 0-7434-6670-5

It’s not often that a new kid comes on the block to blast his way into the dynasty of the Tom Clancy’s, Clive Cussler’s, and Robert

Ludlum’s of the publishing world. Those boys have had the lock on the action-adventure, high thriller genre for nearly two decades now.

How refreshing that Ted Bell has come up with Alexander Hawke, British like James Bond, but there the resemblance ends. A billionaire, a decorated navel hero, descended from a desolute and legendary pirate, Hawke has his hand in many pies both corporate and secret espionage for the American government.

His story is too good to ruin with a quick outline. Bell gives Hawke every nuance of character that’s fresh, clean, a pleasure to read because he puts a new spin on an action hero. It’s a romance, it’s a murder mystery, it’s terrifying action on the high seas, it’s a political thriller; Bell does it all without missing a beat. This debut novel is electrifying in its intensity and serves up a stunning climax.

The only thing missing is not marketing this book to women as well as men. As a female reader I thoroughly enjoyed it and feel it could be marketed more broadly under two covers. All the author quotes are male and the cover is definitely made to appeal to the male reader.

Readers everywhere should be flocking to this book. If you love a good pirate story, mystery, political action, you’ll love this tale. ***** Stars

Bells’ second HAWKE book ~ ASSASSIN is now available from Atria books in Hardcover.

Laurie Wood

Black Ice Reviews

FORTUNES OF THE DEAD
By Lynn Hightower
Pocket Star Books
September 2004
ISBN: 0-7424-6390-0

This is the second Lena Padget, Private Investigator novel. The story picks up nearly a year after she’s met Homicide Detective Joel Mendez, the cop who broke the murder case of her sister and nephew. Lena and Joel have bought a house and are tentatively moving in together — their new relationship is threatened by the fact that another girl has been murdered and Lena takes on her family as clients, while Joel must act as lead Detective on the case.

This plot could be cliched but in Hightower’s hands she skillfully uses a cast of fully rounded characters to support the main heroine and weaves them in and out of the story with grace and speed. Every character has a backstory, a place in the horrible murder of Cheryl Dunkirk whose disappearance is the catalyst for events that touches many lives that are unrelated.

When Joel gets a break in the case they discover that the murder is linked to the horrific events of the Waco tragedy and the Branch Davidians. Cheryl Dunkirk is now seen with new eyes. And Lena must readjust her case from a missing girl who may have had an affair with an ATF agent, and look for another kind of killer. It will take Lena, Joel, and the ATF to bring in a killer whose intelligence and story will show you that there is no evil and there is no justice.

Lynn Hightower has served up a story easily equal to or surpassing it’s prequel Satan’s Lambs. Her PI Lena Padget is a relief in the way of female investigators as she has none of those irritating habits so common among PI characters today. She’s just a normal woman seeking justice for women and children who fall through the cracks of society, quietly going about her job.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a strong private investigator. Or just a good mystery with great characters and strong storytelling. ***** Stars.

Lena Padget’s next adventure is coming out in Hardcover soon from Atria books. Watch for it in bookstores ~ A Proper Show of Grief by Lynn Hightower.

Laurie Wood

Black Ice Reviews

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