Review: They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan

When your life is a lie, how do you know what’s real?

Alexandra Gastone has a simple plan: graduate high school, get into Princeton, work for the CIA, and serve her great nation.

She was told the plan back when her name was Milena Rokva, back before the real Alexandra and her family were killed in a car crash.

Milena was trained to be a sleeper agent by Perun, a clandestine organization from her true homeland of Olissa. There, Milena learned everything she needed to infiltrate the life of CIA analyst Albert Gastone, Alexandra’s grandfather, and the ranks of America’s top intelligence agency.

For seven years, “Alexandra” has been on standby and life’s been good. Grandpa Albert loves her, and her strategically chosen boyfriend, Grant, is amazing.

But things are about to change. Perun no longer needs her at the CIA in five years’ time. They need her active now.

Between her cover as a high school girl—juggling a homecoming dance, history reports, and an increasingly suspicious boyfriend—and her mission in this high-stakes spy game, the boundaries of her two lives are beginning to blur.

Will she stay true to the country she barely remembers, or has her loyalty shattered along with her identity?

Alexandra is a high school cheerleader, a great student, a doting girlfriend and a loving granddaughter. Only she isn't Alexandra. And she isn't any of those other things either. She is a spy ... a sleeper agent and she's just biding her time until she is activated by her home country. The time is coming soon and Alexandra is determined to avenge the death of a loved one and serve her country. 

Spy books are some of my favorites to read. Years ago, I decided I was done with reading only James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks and I decided to pick up something TOTALLY out of my reading comfort zone. I saw a book by this new author named Vince Flynn. It was a spy book and I was totally hooked. I devoured all of the Vince Flynn books that I could find. Unfortunately, this amazing author passed away in 2013 and I've not picked up a spy book since. Until this one. I figured that it was time to give this sub-genre another try (even though it feels a bit like I'm cheating on Vince Flynn).

I won't lie, I expected to not like this book. I know, I know ... why pick it up then, right? I just had such high expectations that I figured that I was wasting my time but you know what? I was wrong. Don't tell my husband I said that because I've convinced him that I'm NEVER wrong. But in this case, I was. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it a lot. And it was so close to being a 5-star book for me that it's crazy. 

I found the characters ... interesting. I didn't really know what to make of Alexandra at first. I loved the way that the author really delved into Alexandra's history and let you know why she was the way that she was. The character development was just as amazing for everyone else in the book as well. I was left with no questions about why the were the way that they were or what their motivations were. Everything was pretty clear.

The storyline itself was very intricate and the author was able to weave this amazing story out of quite a few different strands of the story and you end up with this amazingly interesting plot that keeps you guessing right up until the very last page. There were quite a few surprises that I wasn't expecting that really kept me on my toes. I'm very excited for the next installment in this series and I'll be one of the first in line to get my hands on it. I think I've found a new author to follow and I've found that there isn't just one spy writer for me.

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Sparrow 59 (The Sleepers' Coalition #1) by Devon Ashley

Members of the CIA’s specialized team Sparrow, who investigate specifically into black market deals involving stolen medical research, were all murdered in one quick sweep. Drew and Samantha, team five-nine, have been more than just partners since their academy training days. Safeguarding their secret tryst from everyone in their professional lives, they trust no one but themselves. But when Samantha finds herself suspiciously spared and Drew missing, she doesn’t want to believe what the CIA claims – that Drew is not only alive and has defected from their organization, but is facilitating the deaths of prominent research developers worldwide. Now the only member of Sparrow who hasn’t been killed off, Samantha finds herself under serious investigation by association – and a prisoner within her own home.

Just when she’s on the verge of being labeled a murderer and a traitor herself, Drew activates a beacon only she can see, taunting her from across the world. He knows she’s watching, and she knows he could be gone forever if she doesn't oblige his silent request. With nothing left to lose and everything to gain, Sam goes rogue to track him down and clear her good name. But when she finally catches up to her partner of four years, he hasn’t a clue who he is or what he’s done, and the men chasing him down suddenly want to acquire her as well.

Frantic yet determined, Samantha is forced to protect a man she no longer trusts in order to learn why he went astray – and why his associates are determined to retrieve him. But is Drew really a victim himself in a much greater scheme, or will his memories prove lethal, leading Sam into harm’s way like a lamb to slaughter, ultimately risking the life of the only member of Sparrow he managed to save?

The first thing I saw when looking into this book was that it was compared to Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Bourne Identity. When I read that, I knew that this novel was for me. It's got the spy stuff (which I LOVE) and then its got the romance and excitement and suspense and what a wondrous combination it is!

I've read another novel by Devon Ashley, so I figured that I would enjoy this one as well. And man, did I ever. I couldn't seem to get enough. I positively devoured this novel. It was such an interesting spin on spies and I thought that with the characters being so young that it would really add a new twist and it did. Devon Ashley did a marvelous job in this basically barren New Adult/Spy sub-genre. To be honest, I really didn't know how this novel would go ... you would think that writing romancey-new adult novels would be a bit different from cranking one of these things out. Anyhow ...

As I've come to expect from Devon Ashley, the characters were very well written. I, once again, found myself connecting with each of the main characters even though I really had nothing in common with them. And that's a weird thing to transpire - I have NOTHING in common with these characters ... I'm not in my 20's, I wasn't living on the streets, I'm not a spy and countless other differentiations. Yet, I could really see myself in each of them. It was the weirdest thing. But that's the power of a great writer ... they can make you have some sort of connection with things that are so far out of your realm. 

The story itself was really interesting. I didn't find myself skipping paragraphs to get away from boring parts or skimming pages because I just wanted to push through. No, I blazed through this whole thing because I was so excited to get to the end. Speaking of which ... the end was ... the end was bullshit. I was completely shocked and amazed and pissed and about 9 billion other things. Oh, this next one better come out soon, that's all I have to say.

This comes out December 16th. Preorder NOW!

Amazon | Goodreads

 

Review: Middle Man: A Lieutenant Rollie Waters Novel

Title: Middle Man: A Lieutenant Rollie Waters Novel

Author: David Rich

 Date Published: August 2013

ISBN: 9780525953234

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Pages: 320

★★✰✰✰

David Rich—whose acclaimed debut, Caravan of Thieves, drew comparisons to Elmore Leonard, Robert Ludlum, and John le Carré—returns with a crime thriller featuring Lieutenant Rollie Waters.

 
Recruited into SHADE, the elite, covert group formed by the U.S. military, Rollie Waters must locate and retrieve the countless millions taken from Saddam’s cache during the Iraq War and shipped home in the coffins of dead soldiers. But when a sniper attacks the team, Rollie is forced to go undercover to solve the riddle of the graves and to apprehend the puppet master behind the whole plot.

Rollie’s own father, inveterate liar and charming con artist Dan Waters, was killed attempting to steal the first $25 million after stumbling across the conspiracy involving powerful military officers, would-be kings, and the very general who nearly destroyed Rollie during his last tour in Afghanistan.

Rollie’s undercover quest takes him from Houston and the self-proclaimed king of Kurdistan, to the treacherous, labyrinthine streets of Erbil, Iraq, and into the arms of a stunning, enigmatic woman whose motives he can’t discern. As a confirmed citizen of the fog, now more spy than soldier, Waters must uncover the man pulling the strings behind a backdrop of murder, deceit, and stolen fortune—before he disappears forever into the mist.

Being a book reviewer isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Sure, you receive copies of books before they come out and it's almost like you're hearing juicy celebrity gossip before the rest of the world. Cracking open an unreleased book is ... exhilarating. I get this giddy, kid-on-Christmas-morning type of buzz just thinking about reading a yet-to-be-released installment from an author that I have followed for years or being the first to read how a character's life has changed due to some cliffhanger at the end of the previous book in a series or when you are one of the first to be able to read the very first book from a brand new author. 

But there is also a very difficult side to reviewing books. Sometimes you have to dish out these less-than-stellar reviews about something that an author has slaved over for a crazy amount of time ... something that has probably become a best friend and/or enemy at many times during their writing process and has settled on being one of their greatest accomplishments and something they are very proud of. 

The blurb for Middle Man was awesome ... millions stolen from Saddam, a soldier turned spy set out to solve the mystery of the stolen money with only a clue from his deceased father. That sounds amazing, right? 

Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I don't know what it was. Okay ... let me put it like this: books are like fish in a tank. There's a sign on the tank that says, "Don't tap the tank". I want a book to be the fish that I have to tap the tank for. I want to be banging on the tank like my life depends on it, trying to get the attention of this fish, repercussions be damned. I just didn't want to tap this tank. I wanted to walk by and drag my kiddos with me. Weird analogy, I know. But it's what popped in my head, so that's what you get. 

I can't say for sure what it was about the book. I guess it could be in part within the first couple of scenes something that happened with a Marine sniper ... the whole scenario seemed weird to me. Not that I know from personal experience whether something about the military is true ... one of my favorite people is a Marine sniper and so I asked him what he thought ... he agreed with me that something was wonky (my word, not his - Marines don't say wonky, I'm sure). 

Anyhow ... that one item didn't ruin the book. The writing wasn't BAD. The characters were well written, the story seemed full and it didn't seem to be lacking in any department. It could be that I've read so many Vince Flynn books that he has ruined me for military/spy authors. 

I really wish that I had some concrete reason as to why the book and I didn't mesh. Sometimes, the book gods just aren't smiling down on you the day you start a new book. 

Just because it missed the mark with me, doesn't mean that you won't love it! So if you're into the whole military/spy novel thing, you should definitely pick this one up and see what it's all about. You may have found a new author that you love.

Warlord (Alexander Hawke #6)

Title: Warlord (Alexander Hawke #6)

Author: Ted Bell

Date Published: September 2010

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 544 

 ★★★★★
 Counterspy Alexander Hawke races to stop a madman hell-bent on murdering the British royal family in this latest spellbinding action thriller in Ted Bell’sNew York Times bestselling series.

Alex Hawke has all but given up on life. The British-American MI6 counterterrorism operative lost the woman he loved almost a year ago and has sought refuge at the bottom of a rum bottle ever since. But late one night at his home on Bermuda, he receives a wake-up call . . . literally.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles, an old friend, desperately needs his help. The prince has discovered a not-so-subtle threat directed toward the British royal family. What’s more, the evidence reveals an ominous connection to Charles’s god-father, Lord Mountbatten—the beloved family patriarch assassinated by an ingeniously designed bomb thirty years before. A shadowy figure from the past has the British crown in his sights, and has proven once before that his warnings are not to be taken lightly. Several clues point to IRA involvement, but the authorities have little to go on and answers are scarce. This is just the call to duty Hawke needs to get back into action—if the madman doesn’t strike first.

Full Disclosure: I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

First thoughts after finishing Warlord - Why in the world haven't I read Ted Bell before?!?

Ted Bell wove a story line that is intricate and full of little surprises - like including Princess Di - and his knowledge of military/government made this book read like it was coming from a news story. While reading Warlord, I found myself skimming the pages because I wanted to find out what happened next but when I found that I was missing important details, I went back and re-read. This was an amazing book that I will read over and over. Warlord happens to be part of a series ... but if you've not read the other books (like me) you will not be lost in the story line; it just makes you want to go back and read everything you can get your hands on about Alex Hawke. Great book and an exciting series!!