Book Review - Dingo & Sister by Nikky Lee

Dingo & Sister by Nikky Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this novella from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really quick read, clocking in at about 76 pages. I don't know whether it's post-apocalyptic, or just seems so as it's set in the Australian outback, but it packs a lot of character and mystery into its relatively few pages.

We follow Anika, a teenaged Aussie who seems to have a very strong, almost sisterly connection to a dingo who has become her travelling companion. Unfortunately, Anika is taken hostage by a trio led by a harsh woman named Rosa, and she must figure out a way to stay alive in the middle of the outback with little food or water, and bound up with rope to boot.

This is a horrible description of what in actuality is a gripping character study. The story is told as an internal monologue from Anika, so her point of view is necessarily the one we're privy to. Her past history and traumas, her thinking a few steps ahead and willingness to put herself in danger if need be ... all are accounted for and it's a great little psychological study.

Eight wicked wanderers out of ten.

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Book Review - The Devil's Trident by George P. Norris

The Devil's Trident by George P. Norris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

This book really surprised me, because it went off in a completely different direction than I think I expected. Based upon the cover, and upon reading the prologue, I had thought it would be a war novel. Based on the biography of the author, I thought maybe it could be a police procedural. As it turns out, it's a little bit of both, but more to the point, it's a really great character study from multiple points of view, and one in which I wasn't quite sure which way the story was going to go next.

Our protagonist, recently retired NYPD detective and former Navy SEAL Michael Keough, is a well written, fully fleshed out character with relatable issues; he represents the common man well although his work background is anything but. After a former co-worker is killed outside his door, Keough digs deeper with the help of the wonderfully named (and also brilliantly fleshed out) detective Rocco Locatelli and finds out that he was the target, and his friend was collateral damage. From there, the two race to find out who perpetrated the attack, and how it all ties in with the fact that many of his former comrades in the SEALs have been dying off at an alarming rate ...

George Norris knows how to write a propulsive story, and speeds you along through different times and time zones without ever losing you. The flow of the story is fantastic, and although it's a mid-sized book, I found myself speeding through it. The revelation midway through the story of a certain plot point / character was a wonderful stroke of genius that only enhanced my enjoyment of the novel.
My only qualm has to be with grammatical and spelling issues that abounded, especially towards the end of the book, but I'm OCD when it comes to things like that (I have been called a Grammar Nazi before); YMMV. However, if Mr. Norris is able to get a book deal with this -- HINT: HE REALLY SHOULD!!! -- it's nothing a good copy editor can't fix.

I thought this was a wonderful piece of entertainment. I don't know if Mr. Norris has any more stories up his sleeve involving Michael Keough, or even Rocco Locatelli, but even if he doesn't, he has a solid grip on storytelling, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece of fiction.

Nine mysterious murders out of ten.

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