The Columbus Code - A Review

Published - September 2015, Worthy Publishers
Author - Mike Evans
Title - The Columbus Code
Format - hardcover
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Secret Service Agent John Winters is on leave from his job. He was on a raid that went bad and he's suffering from a form of PTSD. When his mother dies, she asks him to promise to follow through on her research. He thinks it's crazy, after all how could his family be a direct descendant from Christopher Columbus. But he's got nothing better to do. To complicate matters, John's daughter Maria is in Spain working as part of a team of lawyers overseeing a merger. John's research leads him to Spain. Maria discovers that there is more going on with the merger than it appears. Soon both of them are running for their lives. Can they figure out how the puzzle connects before it costs them their lives?

I wasn't sure what to expect when I requested this one. I discovered a book that led me on a tale of intrigue, adventure, and suspense that I literally could not put down. This isn't my normal style to read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The clues to the puzzle were captivating. I wanted to know how the various storylines would merge together. This book reminded me a lot of the Davinci Code. At least with the thrill of the chase. I recommend it to fans of thrillers and adventure.

I received a pdf version of this book for free from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Dan Brown, thrillers, action novels.

Rating - 4 stars

Dauntless - A Review

Published - March 2015, Bethany House Publishers
Series - Valiant Hears Book 1
Author - Dina L. Sleiman
Title - Dauntless
Format - ebook, paper
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Once a wealthy baron's daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now living as an outlaw in the forest along with the orphaned children of her former village. Merry and the children soon earn the title of the "Ghosts of Farthingale Forest" because they steal food, clothing, and things to survive leaving no trace of their existence. Yet their fame soon catches the attention of the king when they commandeer a chest of gold meant for the king's treasury and fast become a target of the king's wrath. With bounties on their heads, provided they can be caught, Merry and the children move again and think they are safe. Timothy Grey, the 9th son of a baron, longs to preform some feat that will cause him to earn his own title and rise from obscurity. When he learns that the famous Ghosts of Farthingale Forest have appeared in Wyndeshire, near where he serves as an apprentice to a local earl, Timothy vows to capture them. But this band of thieves isn't all that Timothy expects. And once he comes face to face with their leader, he must decide what is more important - wealth, power, and prestige, or freedom and love.

I've been fascinated with the story of Robin Hood from the time I was little. Probably due in part to the old Errol Flynn movie and in part to the Disney film. So when I read that this was going to a female Robin Hood-ish story, I was certainly intrigued. With this book also being my first exposure to Dina Sleiman, I wasn't sure what to expect from her either.

The book captivated me. There was adventure. There was romance. There were precious characters. There was danger. It literally had everything to make this a wonderful adventure. And I was thrilled with it.

I think that my favorite character in the entire book was little Wren. She was just too precious. Though I also enjoyed Allen. I'm glad to know that the next book will be about him, because I felt that he deserves better than he got.

There were times that I wanted to shake both Merry and Timothy. I felt that they could have grown up a lot too. I understand that while one lost everything and struggled to survive, the other thrived. But these two did manage to push my buttons a lot, probably the reason this is only 4 stars and not 5.

Still, the book was a great adventure. I look forward to more.

I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Robin Hood, adventures, young adult

Rating - 4 stars

Mark of Athena - A Review

The seven demigods, a mixture of both Greek and Roman, of prophecy are together aboard the magical Argo II and are heading to the ancient lands to defeat the giants. What they don't know is that Gaea will use what ever forces and monsters she can to stop them before reaching the ancient lands. Will the seven learn to work together and use their powers as a team or will their individual powers cause the entire quest to fail?

The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series doesn't disappoint. The book's told in the point of view of four different demigods. What I loved of course was the reunion between Percy and Annabeth. But there were other moments that I loved as well. Watching the demigods realize that working together, they are stronger than on their own because the strengths of one compliment the weaknesses in another. That and they're way more powerful when they work together. The cliffhanger at the end of the book has me eagerly awaiting the 4th book due out next fall.

I read this book for pure pleasure. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommend to fans of Harry Potter, Nicholas Flamel, young adults, Percy Jackson, and those who love Greek/Roman mythology.

Rating - 4 stars

Stangler Figs - A Review

A dead pregnant woman. A murdered priest. That's the story reporter Ramona Jackson is asked to investigate. What she doesn't realize is that the story is bigger than she even thought and she is drawn into a web of intrigue. Forced into hiding, she soon finds herself in way over her head and decides to seek answers. Her quest for the truth leads her and two friends on an international chase that not only turns up answers regarding the murdered priest but also brings the mysteries of Ramona's past and her ancestry to light. Will she become the next victim or will she find the answers she seeks?

I only knew of this novel due to the fact that I know the author's daughter. And as a favor to my friend, I read the book. I didn't have any preconceived expectations about this book or what to expect. It's based in part on a novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. What I wasn't expecting was to be sent on an adventure that crossed continents.Sure some of the theological ideas I took an exception to, but I had the same reaction with Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. A couple of spots, the violence was pretty graphic, but having read things with far more detail in the past, I really just skimmed through those sections. I'll admit that a couple of times I did fall asleep while reading it. But I kept hanging onto my seat as I read because the twists and turns weren't what I expected. Overall, it was a very entertaining book.

I paid for the Kindle edition of the book. The author did not ask me to review the book. And her daughter wanted me to give my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of the DaVinci Code, suspense fans, adventure lovers

Rating - 4 stars

The following is not part of my review on Amazon or Goodreads


This is not a book I would classify as Christian fiction. There are mentions of God and religion plays a big part of the story, but as far as what is actually classified as Christian fiction, this is not. For my readers who only read Christian fiction, this would not be a book I would recommend to you. But if you are a reader who reads pretty much anything, like me, then this just may be a fun book for you to try.