Tag Archives: James R. Hannibal

Top 10 Tuesday — My Husband’s TBR List

21 Mar

Happy Tuesday! Today is a REWIND day at TTT, so I am mashing a few of the prompts and presenting my husband’s specially curated TBR list. Curated by yours truly. 😉 I have created a little shelf consisting of books I have read that I think my husband might like, plus books that I purchase for him for birthdays, Christmas, or whenever. His TBR doesn’t dwindle much, but it sure does grow. I hope you find a book that you or that special man in your life may enjoy.

For more REWIND lists, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books I Have Added to My Husband’s TBR List

The Barrister And The Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson

As a barrister in 1818 London, William Snopes has witnessed firsthand the danger of only the wealthy having their voices heard, and he’s a strong advocate who defends the poorer classes against the powerful. That changes the day a struggling heiress, Lady Madeleine Jameson, arrives at his door.

In a last-ditch effort to save her faltering estate, Lady Jameson invested in a merchant brig, the Padget. The ship was granted a rare privilege by the king’s regent: a Letter of Marque authorizing the captain to seize the cargo of French traders operating illegally in the Indian Sea. Yet when the Padget returns to London, her crew is met by soldiers ready to take possession of their goods and arrest the captain for piracy. And the Letter–the sole proof his actions were legal–has mysteriously vanished.

Moved by the lady’s distress, intrigued by the Letter, and goaded by an opposing solicitor, Snopes takes the case. But as he delves deeper into the mystery, he learns that the forces arrayed against Lady Jameson, and now himself, are even more perilous than he’d imagined.

Blood Mountain Covenant by Charles E. Hill

The factual account of a late nineteenth-century Georgian mountain town, “Blood Mountain Covenant: A Son’s Revenge” is the story behind the gruesome murder of John Lance, a man who preached the word of God and was loved by the friends and family of his small town. 

Trouble begins for John Lance and his family when Jim, the narrator of the story and son of the late John Lance, is attacked by a group of notorious outlaws and viciously beaten. This incident serves as the catalyst for John Lance’s outcry of injustice over this violent assault, and ultimately leads to his murder and his son’s revenge on the people who committed this act against his family. With photos, documentary pages and actual testimony from the trial of John Lance’s murder, Charles Hill’s “Blood Mountain Covenant: A Son’s Revenge” paints a detailed picture of the people and daily life of a North Georgian town in the nineteenth century, and one family’s struggle to walk the path of righteousness, while warding off the treachery in their midst.

The Eagle’s Claw by Jeff Shaara

The factual account of a late nineteenth-century Georgian mountain town, “Blood Mountain Covenant: A Son’s Revenge” is the story behind the gruesome murder of John Lance, a man who preached the word of God and was loved by the friends and family of his small town. 

Trouble begins for John Lance and his family when Jim, the narrator of the story and son of the late John Lance, is attacked by a group of notorious outlaws and viciously beaten. This incident serves as the catalyst for John Lance’s outcry of injustice over this violent assault, and ultimately leads to his murder and his son’s revenge on the people who committed this act against his family. With photos, documentary pages and actual testimony from the trial of John Lance’s murder, Charles Hill’s “Blood Mountain Covenant: A Son’s Revenge” paints a detailed picture of the people and daily life of a North Georgian town in the nineteenth century, and one family’s struggle to walk the path of righteousness, while warding off the treachery in their midst.

Network of Deceit by Tom Threadgill

After her rescue of nearly fifty kidnapped children made international headlines, Amara Alvarez gets what she’s worked for: a transfer to San Antonio’s Homicide Division. Reality sets in quickly, though, as her first case, the suspicious death of a teenager at a crowded local water park, brings chaos to her personal life.

As the investigation moves forward and she increases the pressure on the suspects, Amara finds herself under attack by cybercriminals. Her every move is being potentially watched online, and she’s forced to resort to unconventional methods to find the killer. With few leads, she fights to keep her first murder investigation from ending up in the cold case files.

Tom Threadgill is back with another riveting page-turner featuring the detective who is willing to put everything on the line to see that justice is served and lives are protected.

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance–reserved for incompetents and traitors.

Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company’s plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him–and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal ratchets up the tension on every page of this suspenseful new thriller.

The Scepter And The Isle by Murray Pura and Patrick E. Craig

CHANTICLEER INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS FINALIST — HEMINGWAY 20TH CENTURY WARTIME FICTION

It did not end with Guadalcanal. It did not end with one island. There were more islands… an island with snow-capped peaks, friendly people, blue seas, where Bud found love with his Tongan princess. Where Billy breathed the clean air of mountains where no danger lurked. Where Johnny found a way to drain the hate that drove him mad. They found life again after the death-filled frenzy of Guadalcanal But the God of war was not done with them. More islands sent their siren call from beyond distant horizons and they were cast upon dark shores. Islands with coconut palms, dense green jungle and death. Islands that took more life than they ever gave back. Islands where women killed like men, islands filled with the most brutal soldiers the Japanese Empire could offer. Tarawa. Saipan. Islands that had to be endured. Islands they had to survive. There was no other way to bring the war to an end. There was no other way to get home again.

Spirit of The Rabbit Place by J. R. Collins

Gold can capture the heart of most common men. Its lustful color is said to have been the downfall of many throughout the known history. Few are safe from its deeply rich, heavy, golden pull. The Southern Appalachian Mountains of 1829 laid as a proper haven for the lost ones who would venture there in search of this absolute treasure. Riches beyond their wildest dreams danced in their minds as they trailed to lands they’d never seen. A quest to find streams filled with the easy haul of pure gold nuggets. Jebediah Collins, a lad of Irish descent, and his best friend Wolf, a Cherokee boy of pure ancestry, faced the challenge of living with this invasion of gold lookers. A greed uncommon to their way of life. This coming requires them to fight for their way of life in a valley the Indians call “Place of the Rabbits”. The settlers knew it as “Choestoe”, pronounced Cho-E-sto-E, or “Land of the Dancing Rabbits.” This spirit, known only to a few, but respected by all that experience it, exists in the heart of Chosestoe. The Cherokee knew it as Ga-lv-quo-di-a-da-nv-do Tsi-e-tsi-yi-i. Me and Wolf as . . . Spirit of the Rabbit Place.

If You Liked . . . The Brilliance of Stars

27 Feb

This month’s book club pick was The Brilliance of Stars by J’Nell Ciesielski. The book set in the WWI-era featuring spies and their craft really wasn’t my cup of tea. But . . . I do have some reading recommendations if you did. 😉 And if you are of the same mind as me, the following were winners in my book! All feature spies, with two with historical settings and one contemporary. Give them a look!

The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series
 
Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love.But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.
 
Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.
 
Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission?
 
Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.

A Lady’s Guide to Death And Deception by Katherine Cowley

What is a spy willing to do when both her heart and her country are at risk?

Life changes once again for British spy Miss Mary Bennet when Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from the Isle of Elba. Mary quickly departs England for Brussels, the city where the Allied forces prepare for war against the French. But shortly after her arrival, one of the Duke of Wellington’s best officers is murdered, an event which threatens to break the delicate alliance between the Allies.

Investigating the murder forces Mary into precarious levels of espionage, role-playing, and deception with her new partner, Mr. Withrow-the nephew and heir of her prominent sponsor, and the spy with whom she’s often at odds. Together, they court danger and discovery as they play dual roles gathering intelligence for the British. But soon Mary realizes that her growing feelings towards Mr. Withrow put her heart in as much danger as her life. And then there’s another murder.

Mary will need to unmask the murderer before more people are killed, but can she do so and remain hidden in the background?

The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal

Talia Inger is a rookie CIA case officer assigned not to the Moscow desk as she had hoped but to the forgotten backwaters of Eastern Europe–a department only known as “Other.” When she is tasked with helping a young, charming Moldovan executive secure his designs for a revolutionary defense technology, she figures she’ll be back in DC within a few days. But that’s before she knows where the designs are stored–and who’s after them. With her shady civilian partner, Adam Tyler, Talia takes a deep dive into a world where only criminal minds and unlikely strategies will keep the Gryphon, a high-altitude data vault, hovering in the mesosphere.

Even Tyler is more than he seems, and Talia begins to wonder: Is he helping her? Or using her access to CIA resources to pull off an epic heist for his own dark purposes?

In this Ocean’s Eleven-meets-Mission Impossible thriller, former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James R. Hannibal offers you a nonstop thrill ride through the most daring heist ever conceived.

Book Review: The Paris Betrayal

23 Nov

I love a good spy novel! I read them exclusively when I was in high school. So when I found a Christian fiction author who writes so well in the genre, I was sold. The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal is on its face a political thriller with the balance of world power at stake. The twist is that it is inspired by the book of Job. That takes it to a whole new level. I used it in my Faith And Fiction Bible Study — we loved the inventiveness of this retelling. Recommended.

After a rough mission in Rome involving the discovery of a devastating bioweapon, Company spy Ben Calix returns to Paris to find his perfectly ordered world has collapsed. A sniper attack. An ambush. A call for help that brings French SWAT forces down on his head. Ben is out. This is a severance–reserved for incompetents and traitors.

Searching for answers and anticipating a coming attack, Ben and a woman swept up in his misfortunes must travel across Europe to find the sniper who tried to kill him, the medic who saved his life, the schoolmaster who trained him, and an upstart hacker from his former team. More than that, Ben must come to grips with his own insignificance as the Company’s plan to stop Leviathan from unleashing the bioweapon at any cost moves forward without him–and he struggles against the infection that is swiftly claiming territory within his own body.

Former stealth pilot James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. He has been shot at, locked up with surface to air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion award-winner for his Section 13 mysteries, a Thriller Award nominee for his Nick Baron covert ops series, and a Selah Award finalist for his Clandestine Service series. James is a rare multi-sense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.

My Impressions:

Ben Calix is at the top of the game as a spy with the Company, a US spy agency that is super secret. Until he’s not. After a botched mission, Ben is cut off and has no idea why. With super-villains tracking him, his own teammates abandoning him, and the Director who he reveres keeping silent, Calix makes it his new mission to save the world and prove his innocence. The Paris Betrayal is pure adrenaline-laced action that will appeal to those who love a good spy novel. This reader soon became deeply engaged with Ben’s plight, hoping against hope that his spy-craft would keep him alive as he sought to redeem himself. Action-packed, on the surface this novel is a rousing good read. But if you look a little deeper you will see parallels to the Book of Job. I actually discovered the connection after about 30 pages — I snuck a peek at the back of the book. The Author’s Note details the inspiration for the the character and the story line. I found it very inventive, as well as a great what-if of Job’s life in the modern-day world. I also included it as a the book club portion of my Faith and Fiction Bible study. My group had fun discussing the book in light of what we had studied the previous weeks. The book has few references to faith, but its Christian worldview shines through. I very much enjoyed the wild ride I took with Calix. I would love another book starring Ben, Clara, and the intrepid Otto (the cutest dog in fiction this year 🙂 .

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Revell and LibraryThing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Top 10 Tuesday — Seriously Bad Bad Guys

1 Nov

This week’s TTT topic, bad guys you love to hate, was a no-go for me. I read a lot of suspense, and I usually cheer when the bad guys die or at least get put in jail. 😉 These books generally feature serial killers, terrorists, drug/human traffickers — basically seriously bad bad guys. I did a search of my posts with bad guys and creep-factor as the search terms. Yikes! I found a few that won’t give you nightmares, but some need a nightlight on as you read. I hope you find a book with bad guys to love.

For more bloggers’ bad guy vibes, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Books Featuring Seriously Bad Bad Guys

Chasing The White Lion by James R. Hannibal

Coming of Winter by Tom Threadgill

The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey

Fatal Code by Natalie Walters

Legacy of Lies by Christy Barritt

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

Obsession by Patricia Bradley

Over The Line by Kelly Irvin

Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard

First Line Friday — Elysium Tide

8 Jul

Happy Friday! Today I am featuring Elysium Tide, a new novel by James R. Hannibal, an author that has become a must-read for me. High octane suspense is his forte, and I look forward to going on another twisting, turning ride! With its Hawaiian setting, I’m thinking this is a good beach/pool bag addition.

Here’s the first line:

Dr. Peter Chesterfield watched his chief resident cut a three-millimeter patch of flesh and muscle away from the boy’s forehead above the eyebrow.

Dr. Peter Chesterfield is one of the Royal London Hospital’s top neurosurgeons. He is also a workaholic, ordered by his boss to take a week off to attend a medical symposium at the luxurious Elysium Grand on the island of Maui. While there, Peter pulls a woman with a skull fracture from the water. Though he is able to revive her in the ambulance, she eventually dies in his arms, leaving him with only one clue to what happened to her: the word “honu.”

Increasingly obsessed with discovering the cause of his patient’s death, Peter becomes entangled in an ongoing investigation of a brazen luxury auto theft. He also becomes a source of deep irritation to detective Lisa Kealoha, who has jurisdiction over the case.
But when the two join forces, they begin to uncover a destructive plot that runs far deeper than either of them could have imagined. And if they’re not careful, they’re both going to end up dead.

Award-winning author James R. Hannibal whisks you away to the deadly beauty of Hawaii for a story of greed, violence, and justice that will leave you breathless.

Mini-Book Review: Chasing The White Lion

26 May

I read The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal and loved it. I immediately obtained a copy of the sequel, Chasing The White Lion, then left it languishing on the shelf. Shame on me! In an attempt to whittle down my TBR pile, I picked it up and devoured it! Why did I wait so long?! Chasing The White Lion has all the same great elements as the first book — ensemble cast of grifters, thieves, hackers, etc., non-stop/breath holding action, an intrepid heroine, and a faith message that fits right into the danger and chaos that seeks to swallow her up. I loved the spy craft, the look at underworld and dark web doings, and the fun romp the author takes his reader and his characters on. There is a very serious thread about human trafficking that I felt grounded the rest the book. It gave weight to the daring dos of the main characters. The bad guys are very, very bad, the good guys are flawed and a bit bad themselves, but Hannibal never blurs the lines of what God commands. I highly recommend you get book 1 first, then move right into book 2. Don’t wait like I did. You won’t be disappointed.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to LibraryThing for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Young CIA officer Talia Inger has reconciled with the man who assassinated her father, but that doesn’t mean she wants him hovering over her every move and unearthing the painful past she’s trying to put behind her. Still, she’ll need him–and the help of his star grifter, Valkyrie–if she hopes to infiltrate the Jungle, the first ever crowdsourced crime syndicate, to rescue a group of kidnapped refugee children.

But as Talia and her elite team of thieves con their way into the heart of the Jungle, inching ever closer to syndicate boss the White Lion, she’ll run right up against the ragged edge of her family’s dark past. In this game of cat and mouse, it’s win . . . or die. And in times like that, it’s always good to have someone watching your back.

Former tactical deception officer and stealth pilot James Hannibal takes you deep undercover into the criminal underworld where everyone has an angle and no one escapes unscathed.

Former stealth pilot James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. He has been shot at, locked up with surface to air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion award-winner for his Section 13 mysteries, a Thriller Award nominee for his Nick Baron covert ops series, and a Selah Award finalist for his Clandestine Service series. James is a rare multi-sense synesthete, meaning all of his senses intersect. He sees and feels sounds and smells and hears flashes of light. If he tells you the chocolate cake you offered smells blue and sticky, take it as a compliment.

Top 10 Tuesday — 2021 Releases I Didn’t Read (Who is surprised!)

18 Jan

Every year I vow to read more from my TBR shelves, to be purposeful in the books I acquire. And every year total failure! I really have no self-control when it comes to books. The following are 2021 books still on my NetGalley shelves. I don’t even want to list those that are on my Kindle or my physical shelves.

For more bloggers who are big fat failures too didn’t meet their reading goals last year 😉 , check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 2021 Releases I Didn’t Read

The Chase by Lisa Harris

Dead Fall by Nancy Mehl

A Midnight Dance by Davidson Joanna Politano

The Nature of A Lady by Roseanna M. White

Paint And Nectar by Ashley Clark

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

The Way It Should Be by Christina Suzann Nelson

Woman in The Shadows by Carrie Stuart Parks

A Woman of Words by Angela Hunt

Top 10 Tuesday — Santa Baby, Can You Put Some New Books Under The Tree, For Me? Been An Awfully Good Girl . . .

21 Dec

What self-respecting book nerd enthusiast doesn’t want books for Christmas? I know you are with me on this one. Although the books on my list are not yet released, I think Santa can manage some bookish magic. If that doesn’t work, how about a gift card for pre-order shopping?! 😉

For more bookish wishes, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Upcoming Releases I Can’t Wait For

The Catch by Lisa Harris

Critical Alliance by Elizabeth Goddard

The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey

Elysium Tide by James Hannibal

Fatal Code by Natalie Walters

Malicious Intent by Lynn Blackburn

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan

Potiphar’s Wife by Mesu Andrews

Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright

The Sweet Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Turn to Me by Becky Wade

Top 10 Tuesday — Opening Lines

25 May

Happy Tuesday! This week Top 10 Tuesday is prompting bloggers to share book quotes. To me first lines are important. They set the tone of the book and in some cases suck a reader in. I have chosen suspense novels — some I have read, others that are on my TBR shelf. I hope these lines will intrigue you to pick one up.

For more book quotes, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top 10 Opening Lines

Active Defense by Lynette Eason

Dr. Heather Fontaine strapped her feet into the sandbar and pushed off. There was nothing like the feel of the wind in her face and that peace-filled stretch of time from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

Never Miss by Melissa Koslin

“Sarah Jeane Rogers,” she muttered. “Elizabeth Jeane Jones.” Which ID to use this time? “Eenie meenie minie moe . . .” She held up the license in her right hand. “Sarah Jane Rogers it is.”

Night Fall By Nancy Mehl

His mother sat in the chair next to his bed, reading from The Book. He was almost twelve now, and she’d been reading it to him ever since he was a little kid.

Adam hated it.

Obsession by Patricia Bradley

The January warm spell had definitely ended in South Mississippi. Emma Winters zipped her National Park Service jacket against the biting north wind as she hiked the quarter mile from the gate to the Mount Locust Visitor Center on the Natchez Trace.

On The Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright

He had ruined death for her, and the hope of it. Thwarted death on all sides, until the possibility of escape was removed entirely and she was left with breath, body, and the plaguing memories of many yesterdays.

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

From a rooftop perch, Ben Calix watched the courier leave the Tiber and cross the piazza. He traced his scope from the man’s temple down to his forearm.

Point of Danger by Irene Hannon

The package was ticking.

Eve Reilly froze . . . sucked in a breath . . . and gaped at the FedEx box propped beside her front door.

Power Play by Rachel Dylan

It’s going to be a long night. Vivian Steele checked her glossy pink lipstick one final time before exiting the ladies’ room and entering into the shark tank — otherwise known as a diplomatic dinner in the Washington, DC, area.

Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn

Mondays were the worst. Luke Powell’s head throbbed as he parked his sedan in the empty lot and glared into the nearby trees. The darkness had just begun the slow fade toward dawn, and the US Secret Service special agent could barely make out the trailhead.

Visible Threat by Janice Cantore

Ivana and Villie sat close, heads together as they pored over the magazines — Glamour, Vogue, Self — oohing and aahing at the clothes and the stick-thin models. The sisters had been up for almost sixteen hours, unable to sleep as they anticipated their new adventure. Ivana could hardly believe their good fortune.

They were about to dock in America.

Top Ten Tuesday — Colorful Book Covers

20 Apr

Happy Tuesday. I am still getting over the big day — my daughter’s wedding — last Saturday. I’ve been absent around the blog for a few weeks, so I am hoping this Top 10 Tuesday post — Colorful Book Covers — will give me a jumpstart. I have broken the post into 2 parts — bold color covers and muted color covers. I hope you find one to love!

For more Top Ten Tuesday fun, check out That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Colorful Book Covers

Night Fall by Nancy Mehl

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal

Seconds to Live by Susan Sleeman

Standoff by Patricia Bradley

Unknown Threat by Lynn Blackburn

Hope Between The Pages by Pepper Basham

Maggie Bright by Tracy Groot

Roots of Wood And Stone by Amanda Wen

The Secret Place by Camille Eide

When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin