Saturday 30 November 2019

The Advent of Christmas - Matt Maher and Mercè Tous

The Advent of Christmas
Matt Maher
Mercè Tous (Illustrator)
Wellspring
ISBN 9781635820515



My children and I have been big fans of Matt Maher’s music for years now. My youngest goes to sleep every night with ‘Lord I Need You’ Playing on repeat. And my son goes to bed with the Advent of Christmas album playing. And both are currently learning to plan songs from the album either on piano or ukulele. Their eyes popped when they saw this book sitting on the kitchen table when they came in from school. They were so excited. They could not wait to read it. So I read it to them whole they had a snack, and then my youngest read it to me.

This book was an instant family favorite. In fact, there was some debate over ownership as the boy wanted to keep it in his room, and the girls wanted to keep it in theirs. For now, it sits on the bookshelf in the living room. But I will likely pick up some more copies, one to donate to our school library and one so they can each have it in their rooms.

This book is wonderfully done. The illustrations by Mercè Tous are excellent. The pictures are stunning. Some are full two pages spreads with text over the artwork. Others are one page with a facing page of text. A few of them would make wonderful posters or prints for the children’s room. I particularly like the ones of the nativity and ancient scenes. My youngest loves the modern ones, the families, the crowds, and the holiday decorations.

The story goes back and forth, between a family celebrating advent now, and the first advent scenes. I was expecting something more lyrical from Matt Maher. But maybe it is much better that it does not read as a song put into a book.

This is a wonderful book that will be treasured by our family, and I am certain yours for years and years to come. A wonderful addition to our advent traditions.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!







Friday 29 November 2019

Black Jack - Diane Capri - Hunt For Reacher Book 6

Black Jack 
Hunt For Reacher Book 6
Diane Capri
August Books
ISBN 
9781942633082
eISBN 9781940768991
ASIN B07BF6WGN3


This was the 9th book in the Hunt for Reacher Series that I have read in the last 7 weeks. There are currently 11 and a twelfth announced for next year. I have been trying, unsuccessfully to limit myself to one of these books a week. Which was the same pace that I read the 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child earlier this year. As I get deeper into this series the more I appreciate it. And the More I focus on the Lee Child novel it is linked to. This story relates to people and event in Running Blind, AVA The Visitor. And the main cast of characters in this volume are:

Kim L. Otto
Carlos M. Gaspar
Charles Cooper
Lamont Finlay
Reggie Smithers
Houston Brice
Alan Deerfield
Lisa Harper
Jodie Jacob
John Lawton
and
Jack Reacher

This story starts with a murder taking place. The method used is similar to the serial killer in Running Blind. At the beginning Agent Gaspar is still in Miami recovering from the recent gunshot to his previously injured leg. And agent Otto is loaned out from the Detroit Field office to New York. But once she is there, she gets a bad feeling. And it appears that the man 6th in line to be the head of the FBI might not just be dirty but also a little crazy. This story returns to the home Reacher once owned. And to his previous relationship with Leon Garber’s daughter Jodie. It also involves the mob, witness protection, and a vigilante. 

There is a lot going on in this story and for once Charles Cooper and Lamont Finlay seem to be working towards the same goal. But Otto and Gaspar are stuck in the middle again. And this time Otto is in more danger than she ever could have expected.

It is a very interesting story in an excellent series. And once again it leaves us wondering where the Hunt for Reacher will take us next!

Books by Diane Capri:
Hunt for Reacher Series:

1.0 Don’t Know Jack
1.1 Jack in a Box
1.2 Jack and Kill
2.0 Get Back Jack
2.5 Jack in the Green
3.0 Jack and Joe
4.0 Deep Cover Jack
5.0 Jack the Reaper
6.0 Black Jack
7.0 Ten Two Jack
8.0 Jack of Spades
9.0 Prepper Jack

10.0 Full Metal Jack
18.0 Jack on a Wire

Justice Series:
1.0 Due Justice
2.0 Twisted Justice
3.0 Secret Justice
4.0 Wasted Justice
5.0 Raw Justice
5.5 Mistaken Justice
6.0 Cold Justice
6.1 False Justice
6.2 Fair Justice
6.3 True Justice
7.0 Hunt for Justice
8.0 Night Justice


Jess Kimball Series:
0.5 Fatal Enemy
1.0 Fatal Distraction
2.0 Fatal Demand
3.0 Fatal Error
4.0 Fatal Fall
4.5 Fatal Edge
5.0 Fatal Game
6.0 Fatal Bond
6.5 Fatal Past
7.0 Fatal Dawn


Heir Hunter Series:
1.0 Blood Trials
2.0 Trace Evidence


Jordan Fox Mysteries:
False Truth Part One
False Truth Part Two
False Truth Part Three
False Truth Part Four
False Truth Part Five
False Truth Part Six
False Truth Part Seven
False Truth Part Eight
False Truth Part Nine
False Truth Part Ten
False Truth Part Eleven


The Park Hotel Mysteries Series:
1.0 Reservation with Death
2.0 Early Check Out
3.0 Room with a Clue
4.0 Late Arrival


Other Books:
Angel of Music














Thursday 28 November 2019

Whatever Happened to Friendship? - Henry Hardinge Menzies

Whatever Happened to Friendship?
Reflections on a Lost Adventure
Henry Menzies
ISBN 9781502794307
ASIN B00R9SXKAI 


Reprint Edition:

Whatever Happened to Friendship?
Reclaiming the Adventure
Henry Hardinge Menzies
Scepter Press
ISBN 9781594173240
eISBN 9781594173288



I was intrigued by this book from the first time I encountered the title. There was just something about the title and description that grabbed my attention. There are two editions published with variations on the subtitle and authors full name. The two subtitles are: Reflections on a Lost Adventure and Reclaiming the Adventure, and both speak to the content of this volume. The chapters in the volume are:

1. Our Times
2. Aspects
3. Keys in Making Friends
4. Rewards
5. Challenge
Books & Articles

The description of the original version of the book was:

“Why don’t we have any friends?

All over the world, people are helpless and lonely because they have no friends for support in bad times and good. What can we do about it? Henry Hardinge Menzies gives us practical advice for bringing back friendship in our own lives

Motivating, inspirational, and entertaining, this is a perfect gift for young men, and a practical help for anyone who wants to experience the joys of real friendship.”


The description of the reprint edition is:

“An architect and Catholic convert, Henry Menzies (who died in February 2017) originally self-published this short book which trumpets the joys, benefits, and absolute necessity of real friendship for the sake of happiness, health, and virtue. Menzies takes you on a tour of friendship through famous figures of history, recent writers, and ancient scholars. When you finish reading this book, the names, phone numbers, emails, birth dates, and anniversaries that make up the glue of real life will seem more sacred and life giving instead of dreary duties. In essence, this little book shows the value of a good friend.”

The book begins with a quote from a poster observed in Grand Central Terminal, it stated:

Who cares how you get money?

Who cares how you get power?

Just as long as you can have BOTH?

Which in many was is the exact opposite of the thesis of the book. The book is about friendship. But true friendship, it is not talking about just acquaintances, or coworkers. It examines the need and necessity for true friendship if we are to be growing and thriving. Menzies states:

“We are assaulted daily by the media to be selfish, spoiled and self-sufficient. This effort has been paying off, since many people do in fact become selfish, spoiled and self-sufficient. Many have become almost totally self-reliant without the need or care for other people whose worth, as such, they begin to question. They can begin to think that all others are only useful to advance their own careers or merely irritants or numbers to be analyzed. In fact we are at a stage in our technological development, where we can actually avoid the physical presence of another human being all day!”

And he goes on even further to state:

“And what are the results? Just check out the daily news on any handy device and you’ll find out: loneliness, depression, despair, brutality, hatred, violence, murder and suicide. It has become apparent that our dream of a happy, super independent life style of power and money, proclaimed by the Grand Central poster, is a lie because it does not work. Since the sixties, things have been deteriorating in many areas of life. Everything seems to be turning upside-down. Now the goal of art is not the beautiful but the grotesque. The good guys are the bad guys and vice versa. Smoking is out but drugs are in. Romance is out but cohabitation is in. The family is under siege. The list goes on and on.”

But the book is not about what has been lost or changed, he says:

“The answer is a resounding no, because there is a power we all have potentially, a power that is one of the best-kept secrets in the world, a power that can bring real, personal happiness and truly change the world. That is the power to make friends.”

But he does say it comes at a cost. In examining the times, he declares:

“The truth is that we might become selfish when we don’t share things with another human being. People are helpless and lonely because they have no friends for support in bad times and good. Business associations are collapsing for a lack of friendship between the partners. Politics can sour when the politicians put fidelity to a party over fidelity to a friend. Marriages fall apart because the partners are not friends. Children are spoiled and disobedient because they don’t receive parental love and care. People can care more and more about technology and less and less about other people. They can even become cynical about the worth of any human being.”

And from there he goes on to show us how little we know about friendship. And how important it is that we learn again the art of friendship. It is a fantastic little volume. It has some excellent material and also an incredible list of resources, book and articles, about friendship at the end. It is a book I know I will return to and reread often. As I was writing this review a friend posted this:

“My priorities, Motherhood, being a good wife, My health mind, body, and spirit, my jobs and by faith. I want all these things to be in good shape, but it's hard...really hard. I keep working on them, however, because it's important. Friendships can help these top priorities to flourish....good friendships.”

It fit well with the book and with how the book’s title and content resonated with me. A book anyone could benefit from reading. A truly excellent book!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!





Wednesday 27 November 2019

Pure Resistance - Team Body Project - Alex and Daniel Bartlett

Pure Resistance
Team Body Project
Alex and Daniel Bartlett



I have now completed 8 workout plans with TBP and as of the posting of this review worked 5 and a half months straight using TBP videos. And Pure Resistance is both one of the hardest of the programs I have done and also one of my favourites. I loved most of the workouts and enjoyed hitting the weights. This program inspired me to push harder both with the weight being lifted and the intensity in the movements.

This program is 3 weeks with 5 workouts a week. The workouts range from 21 to 56 minutes in length. This is one of the older programs filmed in the UK before they moved to Australia. The workouts included resistance, circuit, and low impact. Most of the workouts are full body, but each week has 1 focused on just Upper or just Lower body. In the videos they go to the matt for several exercises but because of my knee injury I use a bench. 

As the eight program from Team body project that I have completed this year, this is most in my comfort zone. I have been doing weights off and on for more than 35 years now. I love a great weight workout. 

The gear you will need:
Mat
Water 
Towel
Dumbbells (ideally a few different weights)

The workouts are:

Week 1
Pure Resistance
PT 4 Lower Body
Resistance Burn
Ultra Resistance
Rapid Resistance

Week 2
Pure Resistance 2 Upper
Pure Resistance 2 Lower
Resistance Pyramids
Ultra Resistance 2
Rapid Resistance 2

Weeks 3
Pure Resistance 3 Upper
Pure Resistance 3 Lower
Super Compounder Special
High Rep Resistance
500 Reps (Or as I call it half a ROAR!)

I very much enjoyed this program, and expect I will circle back and do it again in a few months. It really brought back my love of resistance workouts. It took me an extra week to complete this program. My knee flared up and I did a mix of other workouts, Flow, Real Start Just Move, and Warrior Stretch while resting the knee. 

This past summer I wrote a piece called Starting Over in Southwestern Ontario! A Fitness Update! What I started with was the workout videos from team Body Project, and specifically Real Start Just Move. You can watch that video on YouTube, or even workout with it. I had been a member of Team Body Project for three years now, but only just started the videos. I am in my 50th year, and I really needed to get back at it. And the TBP plans have been a great way to do that.

Team Body Project is a website, an app and a community. And the community is part of what makes this an excellent resource for your health and fitness. The private community on Facebook and the forums on the website are very supportive and encouraging. But what really helped me is that the workouts in the Real Start program are geared for anyone. Each video has three participants. Daniel and Alex lead the videos and Natasha and Lisa. Natasha usually works out at a harder pace, and Lisa at a modified level. But even when you go beyond those programs, they always offer a less intense version. And pressing pause is encouraged if you need it. 

And as I always conclude a TBP review, do not just take my word for it check out Kylie Young’s story or the other testimonials on the site. I can say that TBP is one of the best resources for health and fitness that I have ever come across. 

This is another great program, especially for those of us who love an old school weight workout, but with a number of new twists. Thank you again, Alex and Daniel. 



Tuesday 26 November 2019

The Shape of Things to Come - ML Clark

The Shape of Things to Come
ML Clark
Caanan Grall (Illustrator)
Smashwords
ISBN 9780463808399

 


I read this book the day before it released. I read it with my two youngest children. And I might be a little biased, but I think this is an incredible read. This book set in the multiverse is about a different Liam. But was written about and for my son. he will be getting his first cast in a few weeks. And we loved the story. I met ML Clark many years ago, I was a mature student, and she was a bright eyed undergrad. She was also the Arts Editor for my university paper Imprint. And though our religious and political views are often on different ends of the spectrum we have developed a solid friendship. She has now moved away and yet we stay in contact.

This book was written in part because she wanted to find a book for my son. A book about a boy struggling with illness and medical issues. She found many about girls but not one about boys that she thought would be a good fit, so she wrote one. I read it to the kids the day it arrived in my inbox. And they immediately wanted to get copies to share with their family, friends, and classmates. The book reflects some of what Liam had been through and some of what is to come. My children were familiar with the multiverse concept from the Flash, Supergirl and other shows and books.

This story follows a Liam as he adapts to life in a body cast. He is Catholic, but no longer attends a Catholic school. He servs at mass. And he thinks deeply about his own situation, the situation and feelings of others, and about what is happening in the world around him. He is struggling with the story his class picked for a school event. He is struggling with his church being under repairs. And he is struggling with his body cast and the wait for spinal surgery.

The story brings hope. It also teaches the lesson about talking about what is going on in our lives and getting the help we need. Both lessons we needed the week we read the story. My kids already want to read it again. They loved the similarities and also the differences, between our Liam and the Liam in the story, and our family and the family in the story. And that is always a sign of a good book. It is a book our family will always treasure, and we hope your family will enjoy.

Note: You can get the eBook here for free.

Books by M.L. Clark:
Children
The Bitter Sweet Here and After - Short Story
Uncle Remy's Whizz-Bang Circus
Game of Primes
Fat of the Land
The Shape of Things to Come
The Stars, Their Faces Uplifted in Song

Then Raise the Dead Man High
The Shadow & The Shadow

The Menagerie Mysteries:
The Stars, At Last Count
Wildly Runs The Dying Sun

K-City Kink Sisters:
Lacing Up To Reality - Short Story
One For The Team - Short Story

Contributed to:
Bastion Issue #6 September 2014
Lightspeed: Year One
Lightspeed Magazine, March 2011
The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2017


Analog:
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, June 2013
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, March 2014
Analog Science Fiction and Fact, September 2015


Clarksworld:
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 199
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 193
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 181
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 173
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 165
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 162
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 156
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 123
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 92
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 86
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 80
Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 74

Works translated by M.L. Clark:
The Marquise of Yolombo - Tomás Carrasquilla
...
Author Profile Interview with M.L. Clark


Monday 25 November 2019

Finding God When Prayer Doesn't Work - Nick Donnelly - CTS Finding God Series

Finding God When Prayer Doesn't Work
CTS Finding God Series
Nick Donnelly
Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 
9781784695590
eISBN 9781784695934
ASIN B07B6LKMGB
CTS Booklet PA50


This is the third book in the ‘Finding God Series ‘ that I have read from the Catholic Truth Society. It is also about the 100th book from CTS that I have read over the last 2 years. I read this one with more of an academic, perspective. Because I have not had this struggle myself. I guess I was always taught God has three answers to prayer; Yes, No, and Not Right Now. And even in my times furthest from my Catholic faith I would pray Hail Mary’s an the rosary. But I know many who have gone through dry spells, and experienced difficulties in prayer so I wanted to give the book a read. In part as a resource to know about, and in part because it is an excellent series. The chapters in this small volume are:

This World was Made for Prayer
The Battle of Prayer
Our Lord Knows We Find it Hard to Pray
Famous Christians Who Had Problems Praying
What to Do When Prayer Doesn’t Work

I greatly appreciate the examples from the life of C.S. Lewis in this book. The book begins with a Lewis quote:

“The world was made partly that there might be prayer; partly that our prayers…might be answered. But let’s have finished with “partly”. The great work of art was made for the sake of all it does and is, down to curve of every wave and the flight of every insect.”
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, p.59

We are then told by Donnelly that:

“Friends suggested the book should be called, Finding God when Prayer Doesn’t Appear to Work. My approach throughout is that prayer is as important to our existence as breathing, eating, drinking and loving. The explanation for this essential role is that prayer works on many different levels in our lives and in the world, “prayer is a vital necessity” (CCC, 2744).”

He also states:

“However, we must also take absolutely seriously the pain and desperation of people whose prayers have not been answered – those who have seen their loved ones suffer and die despite their desperate prayers for help. How do we say that ‘prayer works’ to the parents of children who have suffered and died despite their bedside prayers? Or to the spouses of husbands or wives who have suffered and died despite their prayers during sleepless nights? How do we make sense of Our Lord’s teaching that the Father will always answer the prayers of his children, giving them what they need? Jesus’s parables about prayer can become a hard stumbling block to those in desperate situations whose prayers have not been answered.”

This book addresses those examples and more in a serious and direct manner. The author draws examples from friends and family. He also has a strong focus on prayer as battle or prayer as spiritual warfare. This was a book I did not think I needed to read. I read it more to keep reading the series than anything else. But what I discovered was an excellent resource for my prayer life. I am certain that any Christian who reads this book will benefit from the reading and that their prayer life will be changed. It is a book I know I will read again, and that I will read with my children when they are a little older. The author gives examples of fictional books that can serve as examples and tools in prayer. Including Michael O’Brien’s A Cry of Stone and the novels of Robert Hugh Benson. 

There is much that I learned while reading this book. This was an excellent read. And one that I really needed, even though I did not know that when I began. I look forward to reading more in the ‘Finding God Series’. But now I have three different series from CTS on the go. So many books so little time.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Books by Nick Donnelly:
Finding God Series:

Finding God in Anger and Bitterness
Finding God in Doubt and Disbelief
Finding God When Prayer Doesn't Work
Finding God When a Loved One Loses Faith

Other Books by Nick Donelly:
Living with Illness and Suffering
Loving Mary: What Pope Francis Says
Finding Forgiveness with Pope Francis
Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis
Who Is the Devil?
Hope and Healing: Living with Illness and Suffering
Prayers for Grieving Parents: Help After a Miscarriage or Still Birth
Praying the Rosary with the Martyrs
Praying The Creed In The Year Of Faith
Praying the Rosary with the Saints
Our Journey to Christmas: With Pope Francis

Unattributed books cowritten\ghost written by Nick Donnelly:
Priesthood Today
Fit for Mission? Church
Fit for Mission? Schools
Fit for Mission? Marriage
Fit for Mission? A Guide
...






Sunday 24 November 2019

Santa’s Priority: Keeping Christ in Christmas - Tom Peterson and Michael LaVoy

Santa’s Priority: Keeping Christ in Christmas
Tom Peterson
Michael LaVoy (Illustrator)
TAN Books
ISBN 9781505115970
ASIN B07X8YX89Q



I received this in box of books from a publisher for review. I had not heard of it before it arrived but the cover and title both attracted my attention. First thing the next morning my youngest daughter discovered it on the counter, and immediacy we read it, before we had finished my son had come and joined us and we reread it a second time. The first time I started reading but my daughter took over, and she was the one who read it through the second time.

I think it is a wonderful book. I usually struggle over the holiday season. I dislike going to malls and having to go shopping in December. This book does an amazing job of reminding us about the real reason, and core of the Christmas message.

The Illustrations by Michael LaVoy of wonderfully done. They really do capture the magic of the season. And of Adoration of the infant Jesus. I would love to have a print of the penultimate image in the book to out up in our home during the holidays.

My daughters’ favorite part of the book was seeing Santa knee in adoration of baby Jesus. My son really notices Santa taking off his hat before kneeling before the creche.

It is an excellent little read and a reminder for all of us. The young and young at heart will love this volume. And it is one we will treasure in our home.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Other books by Tom Peterson:
Catholics Come Home: God's Extraordinary Plan for Your Life
Santa’s Priority: Keeping Christ in Christmas

...






Saturday 23 November 2019

North American Martyrs Kids Activity Book - Bonnie Way and Katherine Babcock

North American Martyrs Kids Activity Book
Saints 4 Kids Volume 1
Bonnie Way
Katherine Babcock (Illustrator)
The Koala Mom
ISBN 9781999099701
eISBN 9781999099718

ASIN B07ZXHKMFZ



There are many great things about this book. But right off the top one of the best is that the pages are reproducible. Meaning you can copy them, and especially if you have more than 1 child that is a blessing. This book is 136 pages of information, activities, and fun. The sections in the book are:

Introduction
St. Jean de Brebeuf
St. Gabriel Lalemant
St. Isaac Jogues
St. Rene Goupil
St. Jean de Lalande
St. Antoine Daniel
St. Noel Chabanel
St. Charles Garnier
Friends of the Martyrs
Appendix 1: Answer Keys
Appendix 2: Further Reading

That is really great is that for each of the eight saints presented we have multiple pages on each saint. The chapters on a saint contains some of the following (see examples of some below):

A full-page biography.
A full page to color.
A Questions section where we can learn from the saint.
A prayer poster.
A section to make a list of what you are praying for.
A Section on the Martyr’s legacy.
A selection of quotes from the saint.
A Section on being like the saint.
And activities.
     Word Search
     Crosswords
     Make your own notes about the saint.
     Prayer
     Mazes
     Translated from Ancient Greek
     Making Bookmarks
     Word Scrambles
     Fill in the spaces

And some wonderful prayers throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the Litany to the North American martyrs and have added it to my daily prayers. This is an excellent resource for children, and at almost 50 I really enjoyed going through the book. I have shared it with my children and plan to get a few copies for teachers in my children’s school.

A fantastic resource for the family. And I would love to see what Bonnie does if she comes out with future activity books on other saints.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2019 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Bonnie Way:
North American Martyrs Kids Activity Book
Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book



Contributed to:
Love Rebel: Reclaiming Motherhood






Friday 22 November 2019

Jack the Reaper - Diane Capri - Hunt For Reacher Book 5

Jack The Reaper
Hunt For Reacher Book 5
Diane Capri
August Books
ISBN 
9781942633006
eISBN 9781940768946
ASIN B074JHV73L


I have now read 8 of the 12 Hunt for Reacher books, trying to stick to the pace of a book a week. For the first time in the series there is a gap in time. This story picks up three weeks after the previous. And once again Agents Otto and Gaspar are put on the trail of Reacher by the elusive Cooper. But many things in this story are different than others in the series, and not just the gap in time.

The story begins with Otto waking up and being certain that Reacher was in her apartment. Then within minutes Cooper arrives on her doorstep to reactivate the search, but this time in person. This story looks at events and people from the novel The Hard Way. It is interesting in my review of that novel I stated it felt different than all the other Reacher stories. And this one feels different than all the other Hunt for Reacher Stories. For one Otto is becoming bolder and more brazen especially in her communications with Cooper. This time not only are Gaspar and Otto trying to track down Reacher, but also retired Army General ‘Nitro’ Mack Parnell is after him and millions of dollars. And he is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. 

The main cast of characters in this story are:

Kim L. Otto
Carlos M. Gaspar
Charles Cooper
Lamont Finlay
Nitro Mack Parnell
Lauren Pauling
Greg Brewer
Nick Scavo
John Lawton

and of course
Jack Reacher

This novel hints at some interesting things to come. And reveals some pieces from the past. It also has Otto thinking about Reacher in a very different light.  With murders in multiple locations, an attack on Lauren Pauling. A plane crash and explosion, and more. This story reads more like an action adventure than mystery or crime literature. And yet it maintains that Crime lit feel and vibe.

I am very intrigued to see where the story will go next. And how the investigation will proceed. In the six months before reading this series I read 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child. And somehow, I stumbled upon these books while preparing one of my reviews and recalled my dad having mentioned them. So, I decided to give one a try. And I am very thankful that I did. I typically read a couple hundred books a year, and the last few years have been over 300 a year. And at the pace I am going I will finish off this series un under a year from my first Reacher read. These stories are great reads for Reacher fans. But they are written well enough that they could be read on their own. But they really ought to be read in order, something I must admit that is something that I often do not do, but in this case am sticking to the order. Lee Child himself has even plugged these books in the Reacher Report. And they deserve the applause. 

A very intriguing story in an excellent series. And as always leaves us wondering where the Hunt for Reacher will take us next!

Books by Diane Capri:
Hunt for Reacher Series:

1.0 Don’t Know Jack
1.1 Jack in a Box
1.2 Jack and Kill
2.0 Get Back Jack
2.5 Jack in the Green
3.0 Jack and Joe
4.0 Deep Cover Jack
5.0 Jack the Reaper
6.0 Black Jack
7.0 Ten Two Jack
8.0 Jack of Spades
9.0 Prepper Jack

10.0 Full Metal Jack
18.0 Jack on a Wire

Justice Series:
1.0 Due Justice
2.0 Twisted Justice
3.0 Secret Justice
4.0 Wasted Justice
5.0 Raw Justice
5.5 Mistaken Justice
6.0 Cold Justice
6.1 False Justice
6.2 Fair Justice
6.3 True Justice
7.0 Hunt for Justice
8.0 Night Justice


Jess Kimball Series:
0.5 Fatal Enemy
1.0 Fatal Distraction
2.0 Fatal Demand
3.0 Fatal Error
4.0 Fatal Fall
4.5 Fatal Edge
5.0 Fatal Game
6.0 Fatal Bond
6.5 Fatal Past
7.0 Fatal Dawn


Heir Hunter Series:
1.0 Blood Trials
2.0 Trace Evidence


Jordan Fox Mysteries:
False Truth Part One
False Truth Part Two
False Truth Part Three
False Truth Part Four
False Truth Part Five
False Truth Part Six
False Truth Part Seven
False Truth Part Eight
False Truth Part Nine
False Truth Part Ten
False Truth Part Eleven


The Park Hotel Mysteries Series:
1.0 Reservation with Death
2.0 Early Check Out
3.0 Room with a Clue
4.0 Late Arrival


Other Books:
Angel of Music