Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie


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‘Kill Zone’: High-Tech Suspense or Dull as Dirt?

Kill Zone

By Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason (Forge/Macmillan Publishing, 2019

Genre: Fiction/thriller

Pages: 318

Via: Library

Following a suicide plane crash by an anti-nuke activist into a supposedly hardened nuclear waste site that’s running at way over-capacity, a scheming and conniving Department of Energy Assistant Secretary puts his career aspirations above public safety and common sense in this “high-tech thriller.”

Main Characters:

  • Adonia Rojas, site manager for Granite Bay nuclear waste storage facility. (Mom: I’m seeing’ Zoe Saldana.)
  • Senator Pulaski, a pompous, egotistical dimwit who controls the purse strings for just about every DOE and/or nuclear waste facility. (Mom: I’m seeing’ Charles Durning here.)
  • Dr. Simon Garibaldi, Ex-DOE employee turned-whistleblower. He’s now an environmental activist and head honcho at Sanenergy. (Is George Clooney busy?)
  • Dr. Stanley Van Dyckman, DOE Assistant Secretary who has a habit of stealing credit from others’ successes and making himself scarce when something goes sideways on his watch. This guy gives pond scum a bad name. (Mom’s seein’ Peewee Hermon. And that ain’t good.)
  • “Regulation Rob” Harris, a by-the-book military officer and security officer. He’s the Hydra Mountain site manager and Special Access Program supervisor. (Wait. Is that Denzel Washington?)
  • Air Force Col. Shawn Whalen, military aide to the president and expert on all things nuclear. Also Adonia’s main squeeze. (Paging Chris Hemsworth…)
  • Victoria Doyle, DOE undersecretary and former Van Dyckman paramour.(No idea.)

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10 Great Authors for Midlife Readers and Other Hoomans

First things first. I haven’t moved houses or switched dog food brands. My hoomans are all fine. The neighborhood powder puff – that yappy little furball on four legs – is still around. So annoying. Her Momness and I have just been running around all over the place. Seems like we just wrapped up summer and now we’re halfway through winter.

Squirrel!

Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Halfway through winter.

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‘Mother Country’ a Mixed Bag

Mother Country (St. Martin’s Press, 2019)

By Irina Reyn

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 274

Via: Library

Short & Long

Okay, peeps. There’s the short version of this book review and then there’s the longer version. The short version: This is one of those books everyone’s supposed to go all ga-ga and googly-eyed over.

So of course we’re doing None of the Above.

Cuz frankly, we’ve seen better “programming” on a TV test pattern. Here’s why. Aka: The Longer Version:

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And ‘The River’ El Rio Runs Through It…

The River

By Aminita Colon; Illustrated by Sergio Drumond

Genre: Children/Inspirational (Ages 3 to 12 years)

Pages (paper): 42

Via: Author/publicist request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kimber: Okay, okay. The headline for this post is a really bad take-off on one of our favorite novellas. Hint: Norman Maclean. Mom’s idea. So blame her, okay?

Anywho, we had mixed reactions to this short and to-the-point children’s book. The main reason we had mixed reactions is because one of us just finished plowing through a read that was as dense as peanut butter. And not nearly as tasty. The other was just being her Ole Curmudgeonly self. Hi, Mom.

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Our Shortest Review Ever

Ready for a new Pages and Paws world record? Good. Here it is. Our shortest review ever. For Blue. By Caroline Allen:

We don’t do books that promote tarot card reading. Not for the neighborhood powder puff. Not for adults. And certainly not for middle grade readers.

Bye!


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‘Searching for Lucky’ Heartwarming and Hilarious

Searching for Lucky #3002: A Ben and Blue Mystery

By Keith Garton, 2024

Genre: Chilldren’s Fiction

Pages; 168

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Questions. Curiosity. Confusion. Secrets. Telling the truth, even when it hurts. A dastardly villain. The best detective dog in the world. You’ll find all this and more in Keith Garton’s new novel for middle grade readers, Searching for Lucky #3002: A Ben and Blue Mystery.

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Wolf Meets Whups in ‘Greed Beneath the Empire’

The Greed Beneath the Empire: Vol. 1: Golden, Lamar, Golden, Liana: 9781960976499: Amazon.com: Books

The Greed Beneath the Empire, Vol. 1

By Lamar and Liana Golden, Indie authors (2024)

Genre: Fiction – Action/Suspense

Pages (print): 81

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Sometimes, the only way forward is to let it fall apart and start over.”

Kimber: Speaking of “sometimes…” You know I love everyone, right? But sometimes – like once in a blue pork chop – I come across a book dude or dudette that I simply can’t stand. They’re like, Yuck! And double yuck with Meow Mix on the side. I want to bite them. But Mom says “no.” Silly Mom.

Anyway, Victor Clayton is that kind of yuck-meister. I’ll let Mom fill you in on The Green Beneath the Empire, Vol. 1. Take it away, Mom!

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All the Ways* ‘Christmas In Bethel’ is NOT a ‘Christmas Book’

Christmas in Bethel

By Richard Paul Evans (Simon & Schuster/Thorndike Press, 2024)

Genre: Fiction

Via: Library

Pages: 314

Listen up

There are two things you oughtta know about Christmas in Bethel right out of the kennel says I, Kimber the Magnificent. 1) This isn’t a “Christmas book.” 2) Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs. Like:

Regarding #1, this isn’t a “Christmas story” in the usual sense. Yes, it includes Thanksgiving and the holidays and Christmas. And all that good stuff. But its message of love and grace and forgiveness works year round. Besides. We put this book on order at the library in early November. It didn’t arrive until after New Year’s. So there!

King of Christmas Fiction

Still with me, Cupcake? Arf!

Now, regarding #2 and that Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thingy? That’s Her Momness and Richard Paul Evans books. A master storyteller who’s penned an entire galaxy of finely crafted, clean and uplifting fiction, Evans has been one of Mom’s favorite authors since just after the Ark made landfall. Or at least since 1993. That’s when a perennial seasonal fave, Evans’ The Christmas Box, first came out. Evans topically publishes a new book every year coinciding with the Christmas season. That’s why RPE is called “The King of Christmas Fiction.” Mom’s read ‘em all. That Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs thing.

Why? Well, dear reader, keep reading:

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New Graphic Sci Fi Novel Worth a Look-See

Free

By E B. Roshan

Genre: Children’s comic/graphic novel

Pages: 126

Via: Author request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How an interplanetary ex-bodyguard with a ray gun winds up as a fruit picker with an artificial leg is the focus of this light and fluffy graphic novel by E.B. Roshan.

When we first meet Rex he’s picking fruit on a farm in the Vega system. It seems an odd choice for a former bodyguard. Think Han Solo meets Lurch in the San Joaquin Valley.

But when Sir Sarpedon returns to the farm unexpectedly and sees Rex with a ray guy, the former pretty much freaks out. Apparently fruit pickers and ray guns don’t mix. That changes when Rex saves Sarpedon from an attack by a deadly tree viper, courtesy of some smokin’ hot shootin’.

Next thing ya know, Rex is offered a chance to join Sarpedon’s security team. He takes it. And joins Sarpedon and crew members Fido and Theo aboard the Black Stone. Their job is to collect “dues” from farmers on “harvest moons” for their boss, Lord Delta. Aka: Stealing.

Turns out Sarpedon isn’t exactly a warm and cuddly kinda guy. In fact, he’s a jerk.

When the ship lands on Delta Three to meet Lord Delta, said Lord can’t be found. So Sarpedon and Rex decide to cool their jets at a local watering hole. Rex tries to rein in Sarpedon’s rude behavior and gets zappified for his trouble. After Rex recovers from his injuries, he’s offered a temp job at the bar. We’re not exactly sure what happens to him or why after that. Cuz the story just kind of walks off a cliff and dives off.

This book is like an omelet – light and fluffy. The pacing is nimble and the story moves quickly. You can read it cover to cover inside of an hour.

We would’ve liked to have read a hard copy that included color illustrations. But the PDF version provided for our Kindle was black and white only. So we won’t be rating this book. However, young readers who enjoy sci fi and/or comic books will enjoy Free. It’s a sweet, uplifting story that’s worth a look-see. It launches on January 15.

Our Rating: 3.5

E.B. Roshan is the author of the Shards of Sevia series. Find out more here.

Visit E.B. Roshan Store on Amazon

Author E.B. Roshan.

Here are our reviews of other Roshan titles:

Wrong Place, Right Time

Love Costs

Judgment Calls


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‘Way of the Bow’ Leaves Room to Wander (and Wonder)

Kimber: Okay, Mom. Time for a pop quiz.

Mom (being her usual alert, coherent self): Huh?

Kimber: Whaddya get when you roll Ethan Hunt, Luther Stickell, and Kwai Chang Caine all into one, to the tune of Life Is A Highway?

Mom: Is this a trick question?  

It could be in this thriller where Zen Buddhist spook dude teams up with handy-dandy computer nerd while on the run from some uber bad guys in this up and down action/adventure tome. It called Way of the Bow. By Vince Fratello.

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarge is a warrior with the NSA and the “Gray Consultants.” Very hush-hush. Very effective. He’s also 65 years old. Trying to retire. Bernie’s a computer nerd. Aka: expert hacker. Both skill sets come in handy. Especially when people are trying to kill you. 

This storyline is the strongest part of the book. What follows as Sarge and Bernie team up to get to the bottom of what happened and why and head for D.C. for answers is a mixed bag.

Most of the rest of the book is about the people and places Sarge and Bernie encounter as they make their way from the West Coast to D.C. This includes an extensive cast of colorful characters like the dude with the ultralight, Gwen the horse lady and the guys in the boxcar en route to Montana. Tough-as-nails with a heart of gold Catholic nun, Sister Rose-Carolyn. A ride aboard an eighteen-wheeler. A dash to Chicago with Carrie and her EV camper van, The Beast. A side run into MMNA, judo, jiu jitsu and aikido. Salem Sue, the World’s Largest Holstein Cow. It’s also a bit gastro pub on wheels. So you might want to bring a fork. Or two.

While eloquent and articulate, we felt the book loses focus and meanders into metaphysical sermonizing a little too often. And that’s too bad. Because it’s actually pretty well written, with sturdy characters, credible dialogue and generous doses of dry humor, which we totally love. But when it strays from spook thriller about uncovering a deadly conspiracy at the highest levels and wanders into Adventures in Zen Land, the action/adventure angle gets lost in the reeds.