Semicola

(This one is obviously photoshopped, but I did not find a proper way to cut the coke bottle (it’s really dfficult), not to say for cutting the glas. Unfortunately, I don’t have the original size image of this one.)

Layton Green – The Summoner

So, more than a year has passed to finally get around to book number 1 of the Dominic Grey series: The Summoner. I wrote about how I started with book #3 in autumn 2016, but of course, I had to go back for the first one. Well, I can say that it did not disappoint. I still love these characters and Layton Green’s writing.

The Summoner actually does describe the beginnings of the cooperation between Grey and Professor Radek. Their first case, where Grey still works for the government, at the embassy in Zimbabwe. Radek works as a consultant on spiritual matters on their case of the mysterious disappearance of a government employee during some cult’s ceremony. Of course, he is not the only missing person, so the investigation starts into the “Julu” cult and the seemingly ruthless high priest N’anga. For legal matters, the Zimbabwean government liaison Nya Mashumba accompanies Grey, who follows her own agenda.

What made this book great to me is that one can really dive into the sceneries. Layton Green lived in Zimbabwe for a while and has researched the region, the political essence and surely the people. Hence, not only the protagonists but the whole story is vivid and feels real. Even though, unbelievable things are happening. Of course, I immediately put book number 2 on my to-read list (which turns longer and longer).

Nicolaus / Saint Nicolaus / Santa Colaus

Coketts

Zerobic (ft. Stefan Erbe)

Mason Cross – The Killing Season

I came across (no pun intended) this book because of a tweet by Steven Dunne, whose Reaper series I already wrote about. The Killing Season is the first book in the series of Carter Blake, some kind of ex-mercinary on his mission to help finding people. Well, I don’t spurn a recommendation by a great author, and I don’t regret it for one minute.

In this book, Carter Blake (who claims it not to be his real name) is hired to help the FBI finding the fugitiv serial sniper Wardell. Of course, with very happy FBI folks. Not. But he very quickly shows his abilities in percieving the escape route of the sniper, who is not really trying to escape but follow his plan of attack on innocent and other people. The great thing about Blake’s hunt, in my point of view, is that his reasoning seems plausible. Of course, there are quite some coincidences taking place, but to me it works out. And it’s very supportive that Blake always is a bit late at the scene, so it does not end on the first shooting.

The book is written from three perspectives, Cross takes the first person view on Carter and third person on Agent Banner and Caleb Wardell. The writing supports the tension built by the story line and makes it a great read and page turner. It’s quite a straight forward story, though, with few minor twists so it becomes a splendid action thriller. I’ll definitely look into its successors.