Jean

Elleston Trevor is a British writer who is more famous for his 1964 book "The Flight Of The Phoenix" which was also made into a movie. "The Killing Ground" was written in 1956 and is about a British Tank squadron. The story starts on the landing craft waiting to land on Juno Beach on D-Day. It covers the gritty D-Day British Tank Division action on Juno Beach and then the battles on their way to the biggest battle at Falaise. General Eisenhower said the battle of Falaise was one of greatest killing grounds of the war. The British, Canadian and Polish armies faced four German armies at Falaise. If the Germans lost the battle they would lose France, and they did. Trevor's dialogue is sharply revealing of character and the speech pattern and slang is valid for the time frame. His technical detail is accurate and unobtrusive. This is a great WWII historical novel written by a Brit about a British Tank squadron. It was great to learn more about what went on D-Day other than of the U.S. landings. If you like history or military history you will enjoy this book. Joe Geoffrey did a good job with narration and the slight British accent.

This book was written in 1981 and won the Edgar Award. After listening to it I sure can see why it received the award and how it launched Woods career. I also under stand that in the 1980's CBS made it into a mini-series starring Charles Heston. The book is the first one in a series about Will Lee. The book opens up in 1919 Delano Georgia (near warm Springs --FDR died there) with the appointment of the first police chief of Delano, a farmer Will Henry Lee it covers his years as Chief and his accumulating evidence on two boys who were murdered and his suspicions of Foxy Furderburke as the murder. Lee was shot down in line of duty and the next Chief was Sonny Butts a returning WWI solder he added to the file on Foxy but he had problems, you need to read the story, I do not want to give away the story. Tucker Watts became the third Chief and the first black, he also is a Army veteran. His term was in the 1950-60 and time of Civil Rights in the South. Lots of action, suspense, politics, family interaction, history and life in a small town in the racial divided South. Woods took the time to build the characters and the background in the story as it is the beginning of a series. The Narrator Mark Hammer did a great job. His voice is familiar to me but I can not place it. I shall download the second book in the series, I hope it will be as good as this one.

Unlike some of the other reviewers I found this book interesting and thought provoking. The book went back and forth between what is coming in technology and how it can be used by the individual, corporation, or NGO, for good or bad. What I found most intriguing is their discussions on how government can use the coming technology for good or evil. Jared Cohen worked at the State Department under both Rice and Clinton so I felt he had a good understanding of the various types of government in the world and what they would or would not do with the technology. They went out of their way to point out technology such as, the smart phone, will give more power to all the people of the world. It was interesting how they see the use of communication technology in helping in natural or man made disasters in the world. They used the example of Haiti to show what would have worked better and how various technologies could improve the reconstruction phase post disaster. In listing all the new advancements coming in the future I felt like one day we will pass the wonders of Star Trek. One question they asked was, for each of us to think, at what point do we draw the line of how much privacy will we give up for security. Lots of information along with pros and cons of use and abuse, over all I was fascinated with the information in the book.

Raymond Benson came up with an interesting idea. I remember years and years ago when in training, working with some Alzheimer patient wondering what their life had been like and what secret were also lost to the disease. Benson has Martin Talbot's mother Judy Cooper Talbot in a facility for Alzheimer, he is asked to see his Mother's attorney. The attorney gives him a box and letter and said his Mother had instructed him to give this to Martin when she dies or is incapacitated. He finds a diagram to the house marking a secret room. In it he finds a costume and diaries, weapons. The story goes from Martin reading the diaries learning about his Mother and to the present day with Roberto Renelli a Mafia gangster being released from Sing Sing after 52 years. He is out to find and kill the Black Stiletto, who put him in prison. The story goes from how this happened, with Martin reading the diaries, to the current day, this adds more suspense as Martin learns of his Mother's life as The Black Stiletto. I think this might make a good series, so shall order the next book in line. Lots of action, suspense and some humor along with interesting characters. This is a bit different idea and has so much potential for a good story line. Arielle DeLisle, Chris Patton, Michael ray Davis did a great job with the narration.

I am a fan of military Sci-Fi. I read the other two books in the series (you must read this series in order) and knew this was the last book. I was wondering how Campbell was going to end it, I was thinking up all types of scenarios. The politics was interesting sort of reminds you of what is going on today in Washington. The space and land battles descriptions were fantastic. Campbell is a master of space battles. I will not give away the end but Campbell did an excellent job of tying up all the ends and coming up with a reasonable ending. I have read all the Jag in Space series and the Lost Fleet which I am keeping current on as Campbell writes them. I hope Audible has books under his real name of John Henry as I want to keep reading his books. Eric M. Summerer did a great job with the narration.

I have read a number of Jeffrey Archer books over the years and also knew he was a member of the House of Lords and a politician but was unaware he was sent to prison. Like many of the other readers I looked up to learn about his crimes. This book is book one of a series of four books in the Prison Diary series. I found it interesting and was surprised at his treatment by the other prisoners and staff. The day to day life of prison was enlightening as well as how many were there because of drugs. I could understand Archers point when he would write attention Mr. Home Secretary even though it could be considered self serving. I also noted how many of the prisoners said they would just take their punishment and get on with life. I am impressed that on his release that Archer is busy campaigning for prison reform. Martin Jarvis did a great job reading this book. Enjoyed the book and learned a lot.

This book was written a bit differently than what I was expecting from the blurb about the book. I was expecting a biography type story of the men and their lives, instead it is mainly a chronicle of their more famous executions. The time frame of the book is from 1903 to 1956 when the death penalty was revoked. The opening of the book is what I was originally expected, in that, it tells about Henry's application to be an executioner, the process at the time to be come one, the interviews he went too and the training he took. Once he started working as an executioner the story mostly changed to the person to be executed and their crime. Albeit, I did find it interesting and noted how murder has evolved in society over the years. I found the stories in World War One and World War Two intriguing the execution changed from murder to treason. The part of the story covering post WWII war crimes trials and executions were fascinating, I am well versed in the American Nuremburg trials but was unaware of the British War Crime Trials of the concentration camp commandants and guards. I would like to learn more about the trials by the Allied countries and how they decided which country would try what type of war crimes. The last part of the book covered the controversy of the death penalty and Albert's response to it. Steve Fielding did a lot of research to gather the material for this story. Norman Gilligan did a great job of narrating the story.

Was looking for a new series to follow and came across this one that sounded interesting. I have not read any Mary Logue book before but do like Joyce Bean narration. I was not disappointed in the first book of the series, it sets the scene for the series. Claire Watkins husband is killed in a hit and run in front of her house and the accident was witness by the daughter Meg. Claire resigns her job with the St Paul homicide squad and moves to a small town in Wisconsin to be near her sister and raise her daughter in a safer environment. Needless to say the action begins with the killer coming after Meg and Claire's sister. Claire's neighbor is murdered. Lots of detention work, action, suspense and humor. Time is taken by Logue to build characters which is why I sometime enjoy a series over a stand-alone book. Shall try the next book in the series before I decide to continue the series or not.

Dusty Rhodes is making a name for himself as a western writer who tells a story like the old-fashion stories tellers of the past. This in many ways is a story of a young boy's growth and development into manhood, it also could be called a love story. It is all this wrapped into a fast moving action western with Texas history wrapped into it. I thought the name sounded familiar then remembered J.C. Holderfield was the town marshal in the Littlejohn family series. Was nice to learn about Holderfield and how he ended up the town marshal in the town where the Littlejohn's lived. I listened to this all day while on my walk, doing house chores, gardening and exercise, felt I never wasted a minute of my reading time. Don Ranson did a good job narrating the story, loved his deep baritone voice, it just seem perfect for the story. It is a shame more people no longer read westerns, there is more to a good western than people think. Give the book and genre a try.

When I saw this was about a Marine sniper I thought it was going to be a war story but no the hero Sargent Ray Kruz has just retired from the Corp and is in Minnesota to visit his fiancé , Molly Chan's family. They go to the Mall of America for some gifts and get caught in a take over by a group of Somali Terrorists. Now begins a fast past, action and suspense packed story. Ray's sister is a reporter in a news helicopter above the mail and uses the news copter to block a terrorist from escaping in a copter. Both siblings are hero's in the story. As the story ends a truism occurs incompetence gets promoted. Phil Gigante does a great job narrating the book. This book makes an exciting passage of time I almost read it in one session. If you like Hunter books and action packed stories this is the book for you.

Egyptologist Daniel Knox is hired by a marine archeologist friend to dive in a newly discovered catacomb discovered at a hotel building site in Alexandra. This leads to a hunt for Alexander the Great's tomb. Lots of action, bit of history of Ptolemy tossed in and information about Alexander the Great. Suspense, humor, chases and good character build up for possible a series. Will Adams has a writing style similar to Clive Cussler. This is an action historical fiction book. I have always enjoyed listening to David Colacci and he does his usual great job narrating the book.