Book Details:

Title: The Art of Revenge (An Anthony Provati Thriller Book 3) by Joe Giordano

Category: Adult Fiction,  pages
Genre: Thriller, Crime Fiction
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Release date: June 1, 2022
Content rating: PG-13 + M (for a few graphic violent scenes associated with organized crime, no sex, no f-words.)

Book Description:

The Art of Revenge is a riveting, action-packed, suspenseful and at times terrifying chase around the world that will have gritty thriller lovers salivating for more - a must-read for those who like hanging on the edge of the cliff by only their fingers.

The Art of Revenge features two unlikely heroes. Anthony Provati is a jazz pianist, art gallery owner, and sailor, who has a mob boss uncle. Valentina Esposito was orphaned at birth but is rewriting her destiny by becoming a brilliant computer programmer. They undertake a global pursuit of murderous Russian and North Korean operatives to foil a terrorist plot funded by forgeries and the ransom of stolen paintings.

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

I was eagerly anticipating the third book in the Anthony Provati thriller series after having read the first two books. I enjoy Giordano's writing style and the way he can so easily create flawed characters we care about. With a few bold phrases, crisp descriptions, and smart dialogue, he can seamlessly transport us into another country and easily shift the mood from one scene to the next.

In this third novel, Anthony's story continues from where it left off in the previous novel, Drone Strike. His baby daughter Angelica and his former girlfriend Nori are in Portugal. Nori needed some space after her accident and Anthony is still trying to adjust to her fall into depression and the fact that he is now a father. Typical of Anthony, he gets mixed up in unsavory business in Greece and ends up running to New York, where his Uncle Frank, a Mafia underboss, resides. But trouble always follows Anthony, and he once again gets in over his head. Fortunately, he has help from newcomer Valentina, a kickass and whip-smart female protagonist.

One of the things Giordano does best is characterization. Each character is distinct and jumps off the page. He knows how to create memorable characters, both good and bad. I could very well see this novel as a movie. Interspersed throughout the narrative are moments of humor, and for me who understands the Italian culture, I couldn't help but smile at some of the expressions. I never know what to expect when it comes to the plot because it's unpredictable with great twists, except that it will be satisfying with a very good ending and no loose plot threads. And if you are an art aficionado, this particular plot will satisfy all the more.

Fans of crime fiction, Italian mob stories, and well-written thrillers with lots of action will certainly enjoy the Anthony Provati thrillers including this one. Although this is a stand-alone novel, I suggest starting with the first book Appointment with ISIL to increase your enjoyment of the core characters who show up in all three books.

If you want to know more about the first two books in the Anthony Provati thrillers, here are my reviews: Appointment with ISIL and Drone Strike. 

Note:  Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. His father and grandparents immigrated to New York from Italy. He and his wife Jane now live in Texas.

As a former 3M International Executive Vice President, Joe experienced the global cultures and locations he writes about.

Joe’s stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, and Shenandoah. His novel, Birds of Passage: An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015), and Appointment with ISIL: an Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Rogue Phoenix Press published Drone Strike in 2019 and his short story collection, Stories and Places I Remember, in 2020.

Joe was among one hundred Italian American authors honored by Barnes & Noble to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.

Visit Joe’s website at https://joe-giordano.com/

Five Before Rome is a prequel that gives the new reader an idea of Valjan's excellent writing. If you haven't read any of his works, this is a fine place to start. 

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Buy the Book:

Amazon.com 

Add to Goodreads

About the Author:

​Connect with the author: 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends Aug 3, 2020

Lauren Carr's ICE, the first book in the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series is now out on audio! I reviewed the book earlier this year and loved it. Check out the audiobook and enter to win a  $20 Amazon GC.

Narrated by: Mike Alger, Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
Content Rating: PG (It's a murder mystery and there is mild violence. Very mild swearing no F-bombs. No on-stage sex scenes.)

Book Description:

The clues for a close-to-the-heart missing person’s case heat up when Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on the cold case.

When Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappear, the court of public opinion finds young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the clues are getting hot!

To read more audiobook reviews, please visit Lauren Carr's page on iRead Book Tours.
​
​

About the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Book Details:

Book Title: ICE by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult fiction, 380 pages
Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Cozy
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: February 26, 2018
Tour dates: April 2 to 30, 2018
Content Rating: PG (It's a murder mystery and there is mild violence. Very mild swearing no F-bombs. No on-stage sex scenes.)

Book Description:

The clues for a close-to-the-heart missing person’s case heat up when Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on the cold case.

When Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappear, the court of public opinion finds young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the clues are getting hot!


After having read several books from the three series of Carr's books on the market, I was excited to read ICE, the first book in the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series with a whole new set of characters. As is Carr's trademark, ICE was a thrilling crime fiction novel filled with twists and turns, non-stop action, strong characters, and comical relief in the form of four-legged companions.

Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent in his forties and the new main character of the series, is a widower with three daughters aged 6, 10 and 13. He moves back in to live with his mother Doris on the family farm. Moving back to town brings back bad memories of when Chris was accused of killing pregnant Sally Lipton 24 years ago. Although he was acquitted, the town is still suspicious of him.

When a dead body shows up on his property, cold cases are dredged up, old flames are reignited and Chris is back in the game. He reluctantly joins a book club which turns out to be the secretive Geezer Squad, a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each with special investigative skills, who get together to solve unresolved cases. This is where Carr's skill at creating new and interesting characters comes into play. I just simply loved the Geezer Squad! The four men and two females were unique, razor smart, and used their mature status and life experience to keep active.

But I have to say that my favorite characters were Doris and Sterling. Doris isn't your average grandmother. She is a stylish mature woman, with wonderful mothering instincts and a sharp tongue that can bring grown men to their knees. She was awesome! And Sterling, the goofy German Shepherd, who was injured on duty as a law enforcement canine, just stole my heart and cracked me up with his antics. That casino scene was just priceless.

The only character that I felt was underdeveloped was Helen Clarke, Chris love interest. For some reason, I wasn't too fond of her, and she irked me. I think if her background had been explored a little more, I would have understood her better and connected with her more. Apart from this, Carr captures the essence of family beautifully with heartwarming scenes with Chris and his daughters. Furthermore, she used the external element of an ice storm to build conflict, suspense and the metaphorical feeling of cold cases.

ICE is a strong start to a new series that will have fans of Lauren Carr thrilled to be introduced to another set of memorable and entertaining characters. Carr's Geezer Squad has brought sexy back to mature men and women, whose kickass attitude and smarts sizzle as they melt the clues to those cold cases!

To read more reviews, please visit Lauren Carr's page on iRead Book Tours.

The Company Files is a new series by Gabriel Valjan, one of my favorite authors, with the first book The Good Man recently published and featured here today! If you like noir fiction, espionage historical fiction, then look no further.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Two years ago, I discovered the Roma series by Gabriel Valjan, and was hooked from the first book and read all five in the series. I eagerly await the 6th novel. However, in the meantime, The Company Files is a new series by Gabriel Valjan, with the first book The Good Man recently published and featured here today. In an interview with me on Oct 3, 2016, the author said about this series:

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Gabriel Valjan is the author of The Roma Series from Winter Goose Publishing. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where he enjoys the local restaurants, and his two cats, Squeak and Squawk, keep him honest to the story on the screen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Necessities was different from the first three books because Donnie Ray Cuinn only makes an appearance about half-way through the book. At first I wasn't sure if I liked this (Donnie is, after all, the main character--and my favorite--in the series) but once I finished the book, I understood why the author wrote the story the way he did. The first half is told in the first person POV of David Lewis, a character we briefly meet in The Monkey House. He is a war hero, a veteran who lost both his legs in Iraq. He is a journalist who is married to a gorgeous heiress. We get close and personal with him. Even if we don't think we do.

When David Lewis finds himself on trial for murder he wants small-town lawyer Donnie to represent him and not some big-shot lawyer he can very well afford. In the second part of the book, the POV shifts to third person. This tactic is brilliant and you only realize this as a reader once you finish reading the book. As Donnie creates his case defending Lewis, we begin to unravel just how much we know and do not know of Lewis and his family. The suspense builds beautifully especially with the courtroom scenes. As is his trademark, the author includes twists and turns that leave the reader reeling because just when you thought you had it figured out, well, you don't.

I thought about this book for a long time after I finished reading it, about how brilliant it really was because the author had me all along right from the very beginning. I was waiting for Donnie to show up and when he does, his case is built on the story of David Lewis as told from Lewis' perspective. I won't say more, except that I can't wait to read more about Donnie and his life adventures. He still hasn't gotten over his wife's death even if several women have tried to establish a long-term relationship with him.

My Review:

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

BOYD TAYLOR lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and their Havanese dog Toby. Necessities is the fourth novel in the Donnie Ray Cuinn series. In a former life, Boyd was a lawyer and a corporate officer. A native of Temple, Texas, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in government and an LL.B. from the law school.

Boyd's first novel "Hero" was prescient in its story about fake news. His second novel, "The Antelope Play," dealt with drug trafficking in the Texas Panhandle, an unfortunately accurate forecast. The third, "The Monkey House", involved commercial development of a large green space in the center of Austin, all too familiar to Austin residents. Whether his upcoming novel "Necessities" predicts future events with the accuracy of the earlier books remains to be seen.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook