Judgment and Wrath - Matt Hilton

Joe Hunter is back! In the author's second novel, a former military special forces operative and his colleague Rink are hired to bring the client's 18-year-old daughter home from an abusive, and rich, boyfriend. Dantalion, a hired serial killer, is seeking Marianne as well, but is aiming to kill her and anyone that happens to be around her at the time. Of course, all is not as it seems, and the abusive boyfriend may not be abusive after all, but the body count grows significantly as the novel progresses. I've been waiting for this book to come out, and Joe Hunter is definitely in the club with Jack Reacher and Myron Bolitar.

Passage to Dawn - R. A. Salvatore

Book 10 of the Drizzt saga finds our heroes six years after the events of the last novel. This was an odd novel. There seemed to be plenty of suspense and twists for the characters, but as the reader it seemed we knew everything ahead of time. There was little suspense for the reader. I think that is part of the problem with these long series. We know there are another handful of Drizzt novels coming up, so we know he gets out of his predicament somehow. As a single novel, a good enjoyable and quick read. Plenty of action as typical of Salvatore. But as a series, it's starting to drag. Perhaps I'm just getting a bit burnt out on the setting and characters and it's time to put them aside for a bit and move on to something else....there is a bit of me that is itching for the next one. That's the lure of a great novelist, even his mediocre work makes you come back wanting for more.

1L of a Ride - Andrew J. McClurg

The subtitle probably does a better job explaining the book than I - "A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School." So why is a guy with three law degrees reading a book on how to prepare for law school? Well, I'm writing a novel set in that first year, and I was a 1L way back in 1996, and I've forgotten much of that experience! This is a good book, and I'd actually recommend it for its stated purpose - succeeding in that most stressful few months. McClurg brings in examples from his courses, as well as the voices of fellow professors and a few students. Read this book if you're thinking about law school!

Sh*t My Dad Says - Justin Halpern

This was a fun book that took all of a day to read given its short length. It alternates between short stories of the author's father and selections of quotes. Both are quite funny, portraying the dad as interested and involved in his son's life, but are also unconcerned with certain social niceties and tact (B.S. has, as the author explains, many definitions). I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a dad, and to anyone who has had one!

Siege of Darkness – R. A. Salvatore

Another book in the Drizzt saga of books. This one left me a bit puzzled. A lot of important world changing things happened in this book, but it seemed to do so by doing absolutely nothing. If that sounds confusing, then you really do understand what I mean by that. This was not my favorite book (I say that, but it really is still a good novel in typical Salvatore fashion, just not his best) in the series so far. I think it may also be time to move on to something else for a while. I've got one more novel in The Legacy of the Drow series that I'll finish up, but I think then I'll take a break and read some other things for awhile before coming back to some of the newer Drizzt novels.

First Thrills - Lee Child (editor)

This is a great collection published by the International Thriller Writers group, and I've discovered a few new writers that I'll be researching on Amazon. Lee Child, and a few other well-known thriller writers, also contributed stories to this anthology, but unfortunately, Jack Reacher did not make an appearance as hoped.

Starless Night – R. A. Salvatore

Well once again, I've just finished another Salvatore Drizzt novel. This the second novel in the Legacy of the Drow series, brings Drizzt on a soul searching trip back to his homeland. Plenty of action as usual and this was a bit more suspensful than usual. Having said that (and I really did enjoy this novel) the main group of characters seem to becoming slightly invincible. Despite the setback in the last novel, I just get the feel that no matter what happens, the heroes will win out in the end. But putting that aside, a very enjoyable read and already moving through book #3.

The Final Detail - Harlan Coben

This is probably the darkest book in the series yet, even after Myron's almost-girlfriend was killed in One False Move. In this installment, Myron's best friend and business partner Esperanza is arrested for the murder of Myron's first-ever client, and Esperanza isn't saying anything to help herself. Myron and Win, his preppy but lethal friend, are seeking the truth and move into an underworld of alternative sex as they draw closer to an answer. I believe this is my third or fourth in the series just this year, and I look forward to the next!

City of Dreams - William Martin

I've been waiting for this book for a couple of years now, and wasn't disappointed. Peter Fallon, a bookseller of rare manuscripts, is drawn into a hunt for New Emissions bonds, floated to help finance the Revolutionary War at a 5% interest rate. As the Supreme Court contemplates the validity of the bonds, as well as the compound interest rate that would make a cache of the bonds worth billions, Peter is pursued by various parties wanting and demanding his help. The author has actually setup several stories within this novel, the modern-day pursuit, but also a few stories of those that came to possess the missing bonds over the years. As I really enjoyed this novel, I'm hoping that it won't be another 2-3 years before the next comes out!

The Legacy – R.A. Salvatore

Well here we are again, another Salvatore book. I guess I'm becoming a bit of a broken record, but man I'm just enjoying his books and they are such quick reads it doesn't take much time to blow through them.  This is the first one in the Drizzt saga that I haven’t read yet, so we’re into new material now.  While this wasn’t the best book in the series so far, it had plenty of action (as usual, Salvatore is one of the best),  some old friends and enemy’s and a surprise or two.  One surprise was a bit shocking as we seem to have lost someone fairly important to the series so far…though I suspect that Salvatore has plans to shock us a bit more down the road here too.  Anyway, another gem from Salvatore and on to the next book.

The Halfling’s Gem – R. A. Salvatore

Book 3 of The Icewind Dale Trilogy and book 6 of the Drizzt saga leaves me wanting more. Salvatore is such a fun writer and his books are so easy to read, you will literally fly through his books without even realizing it. Having finished this novel, I have now completed rereading those books I've enjoyed before and now can move on to new adventures with Drizzt. 

What about this book in particular.  Not sure what else I can say that I've not already said before in regards to Salvatore’s novels.  Plenty of action, suspense and excitement.  This novel cleans up the nicely, ties some loose ends and leaves enough paths to follow for future books.  Just go get these books and read them.

Streams of Silver - R. A. Salvatore

Book 2 of the Icewind Dale trilogy continues on with the adventures of Drizzt, Wulfgar and Bruenor as they go in search of Bruenor's long lost homeland, Mithril Hall. Typical Salvatore book, plenty of action and fast pace. Does have a bit of that middle book syndrome where not much is really concluded. Really just setup for the next book in the series. Overall good book and looking forward to the next in the series.