Red Sky - Sailors Take Warning! A Fantastic Adventure at Sea by Carl Brookins

Red sky at night, sailors' delight.
Red sky at morning, sailors take warning

“Wow. Look at that sky, will you!” Michael Tanner raised a hand in the soft morning sea haze to shade his eyes against the warm brightening light. Great streaming expanses of pink-tinged clouds poured toward him in long ragged tails. They extended from the horizon in white and flaming yellow streaks as though flung against the sky by an angry God. Bronze and orange flames flared and dropped from the thin cloud bank that lay against the edge of the horizon where sky and ocean met. It was as if the whole eastern sky was ablaze. The streamers shifted and the distant light flickered. 

A nearly naked Mary Whitney scampered to the cockpit to see what her companion was exclaiming over. Tanner was standing on the cabin roof beside the mast above her, one hand lightly resting on the boom of the sailboat. He shifted his gaze to admire the way the morning light lent a fiery glow to the outlines of her body. She stretched and smiled as the sun rose above the cloud line and molded more of its warming light to her curves. She turned and smiled again, this time directly at her husband. “Nice morning, don’t you think? I slept the sleep of the just, which is unusual for the first night out.” She stretched again and yawned. “Unfamiliar boat and all.” 

“Nice morning indeed, and do you remember that old sailor’s rhyme?” 

“Which one is that? Oh yes, ‘Red sky at night, sailors delight, red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.’ Is that the one?” “That’s it. What’s your pleasure? Shall we breakfast before getting under way?” 

“I’m in favor of that, I think,” Mary said. “It’s calm, I can have a swim while you make us Bloody Marys and then we’ll get under way.” She unhooked the gate in the safety lines at the side of the cockpit and winked at Tanner. Then in a single lithe motion she dropped her silk panties, the only garment she was wearing at the moment, and dove cleanly over the side of their sailboat into the warm Caribbean Sea. She made hardly a splash slicing into the water. 

Tanner grinned, breathed deeply and considered again how fortunate a man he was. He watched her progress as Mary gracefully swam a full circle around their chartered Beneteau. He had no intention of going below while she was alone in the water, even if they were securely anchored in this calm and protected cove on the southeast side of Ginger Island. 

“This is great, she shouted. “You better come in here.” She treaded water, one hand resting on the gunwale of the dinghy floating at the stern of the sloop. Then she started another circuit, slower, this time, backstroking rhythmically along.

Tanner grinned, admiring the way the clear water caressed Mary’s naked body. He dropped below, grabbed a big soft beach towel from the counter beside the companionway and shed his shorts. Without a pause he stepped out of his shoes and stormed back up the ladder topside. He dropped the towel and cannonballed into the water a few feet from Mary with a great holler and an even greater splash. “Whoee! You are so right.” Tanner surfaced with a rush. 

“This is really a paradise. How come we’ve never done this before?” 

Mary laughed and swam closer. She treaded water again and slid her arms around his neck. His hands touched her slick sides and slid to her waist, drawing her closer into an intimate embrace. She kissed him, three quick pecks on cheek and chin, feeling his body sliding along the length of her. Then she hooked her heels around his calves and pressed her body completely against him, trapping his legs. 

When they both stopped treading water they slid, smiling, beneath the serene surface. Tanner barely had time to grab a breath before the water rose over his head. A moment later he opened his eyes to see Mary smirking at him through bubbles rising from her mouth as she pursed her lips. Her auburn hair floated around and above her head as together they sank deeper. 

She flexed her hips against him, freed his legs and shoved away toward the surface.

~~~

RED SKY 

A Tanner/Whitney sailing mystery

By Carl Brookins

If you began to read this book, say, just the first chapter, you'd probably stop quickly, head out to make a cup of tea and think you are starting a wonderful lovers' vacation, on a yacht, no less! In the Caribbean! Wow! I've toured in the Caribbean area, but quickly realized, as the couple could stop and visit small towns along the way, that I could say I've been there. But having Brookins take us to being able to sail to various places, stop and stay were you wanted...well... it's not even close to on a cruise ship and schedule... So I decided to tour a little while sharing my thoughts on the book and setting...

Except for the sound of small waves sloshing against the hull, it was quiet. They had chosen an anchorage closest to the huge rock cliff just past the entrance to the cove. Outside the cove, the almost ceaseless trades sent big rollers across the mouth. The crashing surf could be heard as a pulsing, rhythmic roar that could stir one’s passion.  

The path through the coral reef had been the trickiest of all the Virgins, according to their charts, and it gave them the advantage of privacy. Only the most experienced would choose to join them, preferring the group of anchoring positions in the larger cove of Ginger Island where boats had a straight-in approach. There were already four boats at anchor there and Tanner and Mary could hear the faint sound of music from deck-level speakers and shouts of participants on the boats who appeared to be well-acquainted.  

“I’m ready for a gin and tonic, how about you?” asked Tanner. 

“Umm, not just yet. I’m going to slather on some more sun screen and take my ease on the foredeck for a while. I’ll make due with a bottle of water, if you don’t mind.” Mary took her little mesh bag of tubes and the water Tanner handed her through the forward hatch. She put down the small futon and looked over the quiet anchorage. Her tee-shirt came off quickly and she stripped to her ruby thong, then laid back, totally relaxed. She slathered on sun screen, stretched out and her eyes soon closed as her pulse flattened. 

In the aft cockpit, Tanner sipped a drink and likewise drowsed in the afternoon heat. The trade winds blew ceaselessly around the cliff, and rocked them gently in nature’s embrace. It was a perfect afternoon end to an exhilarating sail that day.

~~~

And...the fun, relaxing sexy interlude they'd planned was soon over! For readers too!

Tanner’s head appeared beside the
 anchor chain where it clove the surface. 
He was holding on with his left hand
 and slowly treading water. He stared
 at something in his other hand. 
Mary swam nearer.
 “What have you got there?” she asked.
 “Money. Currency, bills.” 
“A windfall perhaps?”
 Intrigued, she swam to her husband and
 grasped the anchor chain beside him. 
He handed her a damp bill. She looked
 at it and her eyes widened. “Wow, this
 would buy a few drinks at the Soggy
 Dollar Bar, wouldn’t it?”
 “I’ll say. Hundred dollar bills don’t
 turn up very often anywhere, I’ll wager.” 
Mary said, “You would, huh? 
Wager, I mean. 
Where did this come from?”
~~~

But this reader was quite pleased because the mystery began quickly, continued on and on, and kept me totally involved. The main characters, Tanner and Whitney, may be "amateur detectives" from a police standpoint, but, these two were among the best of the best I've seen for knowledge and expertise. Of course, it didn't hurt that both of the characters are independently wealthy, intelligent, professionally capable...and have gained a reputation based upon their background skills, and to some extent, their financial status. I was marveling at the brilliance of Whitney and her skills with sailing, while the protective actions of Tanner and his laid-back attitude and humor were engaging. Even after they were targeted...

By then Tanner had found the money...

While in a cove, Tanner had done a survey of the boat and surroundings, only to arise from the water with three one-hundred dollar bills...

They knew they would have to report it, thinking it could even be counterfeit, but that didn't mean it had to be right away, so they decided to stop at The Bitter End Yacht Club at Virgin Gorda to begin inquiring about local officials. That was the first time Tanner thought he saw a boat that seemed to be following or watching them...

Heading into the Club, they found a dinner table and Tanner stepped out to seek information of how to gain directions to the police. He also asked about the British Consulate... and before very long, having been overheard, a man came to their table to offer assistance. Ian McGwean introduced himself and said he was with the British government, offering to help... Was it just a little coincidental, they wondered, but nevertheless talked with Ian for some time...

Only to learn later that he had been found dead...

And the three $100 bills had been stolen from their yacht's cabin...

Tanner and Whitney are married, although Whitney retained her own name, given her business and foundation involvement.

I enjoyed them as a couple, obviously very much in love and happy to be together, while at the same time, other than losing their vacation enjoyment, they make a formidable couple in investigating and helping to solve mysteries... 

But, this time, they were being tracked, watched...and more. They finally realized that somebody might think they had access to the rest of the money or knew where it was. They were the ones being hunted! And getting local officials involved may or may not be a good thing since, as they moved forward, it became apparent that they could not be sure who could be trusted!

Readers continue to learn more about the various nearby islands and enjoy the leisure activities of the vacationing lovers but, the story and danger continues to increase and soon Tanner is taken--gone without a trace!

But with help, Mary had instinctively found her way to a location on Tortola Beach...

“Nice to see you again, babe,” he whispered. “Wondered if I ever would.” Then he passed 
out.

~~~

But that wasn't the end... 

As the book continues, the leisurely pace of sailing on the yacht is thrown next into danger, requiring high sailing skills to make the way through tight areas into the open sea. Whew! Soon, it is a page-turner, with readers wanting nothing more for those being chased to see dry land safely. A thoroughly enjoyable mix of romantic pleasure interludes with thrilling, exciting edge-of-your-seat  water racing maneuvers from danger. No doubt that I would recommend this one!

Do check out my review of another novel by this author, Grand Lac and a fun article, THE BIRTH OF SEAN NMI SEAN, PI, AND THE MINNESOTA CRIME WAVE... before you leave.

GABixlerReviews

Heading to Belize - Looking for the Mask Among the Bones! Exciting Adventure Thriller!

From the first moment Jessica had walked into his office and shown him work she had done during her summer vacations while still in high school, he had known she was a born “bone-digger”. Ever since, he had helped her in any way he could. Heading the expedition to Kuchil Kan would be a great beginning to her career.
~~~

The Maya ruins of Belize include a number of well-known and 

historically important pre-Columbian Maya archaeological sites

She had been staring so intensely at the campus below, so preoccupied by her thoughts, that she had not heard Dr. Winslow enter his office. “Miss Lane, if you’re not interested in heading the Kuchil Kan expedition, I assure you, I can find someone else who is!”
“No! I mean, of course I’m interested,” Jessica stammered as she turned from the window and watched Dr. Winslow open a manila folder on his desk.
His offer to make her the head of the Kuchil Kan expedition in Belize so surprised her that she felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Her mind fumbled with the consequences of his offer, leaving her speechless and off-balance. Entering his office fifteen minutes ago, she had been prepared to get down on her knees, beg and plead, if she had to, anything to get Dr. Winslow to change his mind about sending her back to Ek Chuah. She had to get to Kuchil Kan and follow the new evidence she had just uncovered. Now, by asking her a question composed of a few simple words, he was handing her the opportunity, not only on a platter, but wrapped and tied in a shiny bow. 
Dr. Winslow cleared his throat and eased his ponderous weight forward until his elbows were resting on the top of his desk. “Professor Scaccia contacted me yesterday and said he would prefer to continue with the Yucatan expedition at Ek Chuah. That left me with the task of selecting someone to take his place in Kuchil Kan.” Jessica paled as she heard him mention Scaccia. 
One eyebrow, thick and white as egret feathers, arched like a raised wing over watery gray eyes. “You were working in Ek Chuah with him last summer. Do you have any idea why he would suddenly drop out of the Kuchil Kan expedition and return to Ek Chuah?”
 “No,” Jessica answered quickly. Too quickly, she realized from Dr. Winslow’s reaction. But the last thing she wanted to be reminded of was working with Professor Scaccia. 
Dr. Winslow frowned as his weathered hands stretched from silk shirt cuffs. He reached for his meerschaum pipe and slowly, methodically tapped it on the ashtray, giving her more than enough time to think about her hasty answer. His watery eyes turned to steel as they bored into hers. “I hope that you’re not keeping anything from me, Miss Lane.” 
Jessica involuntarily clenched her fist, and then quickly hid it behind the folds of her long skirt. “I believe everyone is aware that Professor Scaccia and I do not see eye to eye on a lot of matters, Dr. Winslow. I imagine he saw something in one of the field journals that piqued his interest and - like a bloodhound - he’s following the trail.” She forced a half-smile on her face and Dr. Winslow matched it as he nodded and said, “I realize Roland isn’t very popular with a lot of the students. But he does get results.” 
At what cost? She wanted to shout at him. Only a quiver at the corner of her lips showed the effort she was exerting to control her anger as she forced the smile to stay in place...

~~~

Mask Among the Bones

By M. Robertson

Jessica Lane was ecstatic but still shocked that she had been asked to head the Kuchil Kan expedition by Dr. Winslow! And that Dr. Scaccia had apparently been the one to recommend her... Something was behind this--she didn't trust Scaccia and couldn't see him doing something for her without some type of motive. But she still was determined--this would be her first expedition as lead and she was going to make sure she was successful... Especially after her secret meeting and gift...

So when just getting there became a problem, she began to worry...

First she received a message that her pilot had been called away on an emergency, so she'd have to drive to meet him...requesting that she start immediately... Fortunately, she was not foolish enough to do that and instead waited until the morning...

Only to find when she got there that the pilot had himself been waiting... and he'd never sent the message she'd received...

Got to say that I was glad to have that pilot become suspicious enough that he decided to find out more... (If you are fans of The Librarians, you'll know why I selected two of those actors to play our main characters!) Besides, he had obviously, at least to readers, taken an interest in the beautiful young archaeologist! And they had arrived!

Of course, it was a rough landing when Jessica got involved with it and a crash landing resulted... Yikes!

The wind tossed her hair, waving it like a coronation banner as she joyfully kicked the loose leaves in her path. Only twenty-seven years old and she was supervising her first archaeological excavation. She laughed out loud because she knew that the university didn’t consider Kuchil Kan an important site. She had read all of the reports on the preliminary exploration that was done by a group of students two years ago. The small site in the heart of Belize was quickly abandoned as an insignificant site when the university ran out of funds. But she knew Kuchil Kan’s secrets. She knew that she would make a discovery the other team had never dreamed of making...

~~~

Jessica busies herself getting everybody involved in the work settled, but then things continue to happen again, with her tent being vandalized, clearly showing that somebody was looking for something...what she had been carrying on her body since getting there...

The thing is, there is not just one person involved...and they clearly know what she has been given, with Jessica remembering that the man had first met with Professor Scaccia. Had he sent somebody after her so they could easily steal the mask if or when she found it? The good thing is that they were not counting on her having Michael Donovan, the pilot, who, by nature, was an ethical, caring man quite willing to support Jessica in her hunt...or at least try... Because this was not going to be an easy treasure hunt!

This exciting adventure thriller is a page-turner, one that also keeps you guessing since there are so many different, strange happenings as Jessica works, first, to even get to Belize and then on to the expedition site. Then readers move toward the climatic ending when those wanting to steal the mast in order to sell it on the black market came out into the open...from every direction! I loved it! This one is highly recommended, especially for treasure hunting enthusiasts!


GABixlerReviews

M. Robertson majored in Journalism with summer studies in Europe, U.K. and Mexico. Love and marriage happened while in college. Journalism turned to photography and a foray into business which followed a path of movies, electronics and a brief foray into owning a bar. Now living in the Ozarks and still married after all those adventures surrounded by two rescued corgis and a hound mix, M.Robertson is happy to be writing again.

Running With Wild Blood Spotlighted During Blog Tour for Gerrie Ferris Finger With Added Featured Event...

Lake said, “Juliet Trapp told her mother she was taking off to Florida with Wild Blood for Bike Week.”
I’ll always remember when, where and the exact words Lake spoke. It was two days before Christmas, three years ago. We had been at the Capital Grill in downtown Atlanta celebrating Lake’s promotion to Detective Lieutenant in the Major Crimes Homicide Unit of the Atlanta Police Department. Between chewings of salmon and swallowings of cabernet sauvignon, he said that his ex-wife’s garden-club friend, Roselyn Trapp, had called the police station three times to report her daughter , Juliet, a runaway. Lake went on to explain, “The time before that , Juliet left town with a traveling circus and was brought home from Illinois by the Marshal Service. She acted contrite, but I think she enjoyed every minute of riding an elephant. Rich girl’s idea of fun.”
I said, “That’s what happens when parents give their kids a fancy car when they turn sixteen.” “Juliet wrecked the car while she was in Illinois. Her father bought another.” “It wouldn’t do to have their precious bumming rides in other kids’ Mercedes.” Six months after the circus escapade , sixteen-year-old Juliet Trapp’s body was found in a patch of weeds a block from the Wild Blood Motorcycle Club’s Atlanta hangout. Sometime on the night of December 28, during Christmas break, she’d been raped and strangled with her winter scarf.

~~~

Running With Wild Blood:
A Mariah Dru/Richard Lake Mystery

By Gerrie Ferris Finger

Welcome Gerrie! This novel is certainly one to spotlight! Exciting characters, setting, and events, one of which symbolizes the story in a fantastic way so much so that I created a separate article, but does not give away what is really happening. Check it out before you leave this visit!

I love the two main characters--lovers Richard Lake, of the Atlanta Police Department, and Moriah Dru, a PI, whose main emphasis is searching for lost children. I loved the twists the author added in that it was Lake who asked her to take on a cold case that he didn't have time to handle...but then, when Dru got involved with all that she did, Lake's emotions went into overdrive to protect her or keep her from some of the men she was meeting, simply due to jealousy... By that time, Dru had no plans to back out of the case!

A witness during the original time frame of the disappearance of Juliet Trapp, 16, who was a student at Winters Farm Academy, had come in, claiming he now remembered something that could be helpful to the case. Her mother had called the police and demanded a new emphasis be started immediately.

Because of the location where her body was found, as well as the information now received that indicated Juliet may have been traveling with Wild Blood, with a local group of the bikers club, this was the individuals who had been first investigated. Although nothing had been discovered at that time, it was obviously the first link since they now had a witness who had seen Juliet with a biker.

At that time, the Atlanta chapter of Wild Blood, a club of one-percenters, had maybe thirty-five members. One-percenters are the bad guys in outlaw clubs. Ninety-nine percent of motorcycle riders are ordinary Joes banded together for the love of their bikes. Not all, but many one-percenters—it is alleged— live off the proceeds of processing crystal meth or crank. I carry around a lot of extraneous knowledge, and how the word crank came about is an example. After outlaw motorcycle clubs manufacture their product, they transport it beneath the crankshafts of their bikes. Interesting how words evolve, isn’t it? 

I looked at Lake who had an interesting expression on his face. “Welcome back to the real world,” he said, his smile blossoming.

“What’s become of Wild Blood?” I asked. “They’ve fallen out of the headlines. Have they cleaned up their acts?” 

He reminded me that last year two members were convicted and sentenced on federal drug charges. Since their leader had been spirited into the Witness Protection Program for ratting out two buddies to avoid his own conviction, those roaming free changed their attitudes. At least in Atlanta. “Their clubhouse is still behind a high fence in Forest Park,” Lake said, “but you never see any bikes there. A couple of members were suspected in the murder of a rival biker and throwing his body in the Chattahoochee, but it was never proved.” His lips twisted. “To give the devils their due, they’ve never been known to murder or purposely injure a citizen. This time of year they mostly hang out in Florida.” January is not an optimal time to ride a motorcycle, even in the sunny South. “That might mean a trip to Miami.”

“It might . Word has come down from on high that the Trapp case will be solved—or else. Since I don’t want my head rolling, I’ve got to do whatever it takes."

~~~

Rassler

Switch

Dru got started by visiting Juliet's mother, a character who uses the "royal we" which is hard yet funny to follow, and wonder how any individual who is not royalty has the nerve to do this! Not too long into her investigation, she was caught up into a Task Force on Bikers, which included the FBI and local state and city officials. And it appeared that there might also be something suspicious about Juliet's father's death. Seemed to be a lot of manpower supporting this, but it was Dru who made the breakthrough inside the biker club! LOL!

Of course, Dru had also started talking to leaders of the Winters Farm Academy, as well as students and Juliet's friends, or enemies... One incident took further investigation when it was learned that three friends had been involved in an illegal steeplechase activity in which one of the girls was seriously hurt. Now Juliet was dead and Bunny, the other girl had disappeared. Dru found that while she was tracking Juliet's killer, she also needed to apply her Child Trace skills to find the missing Bunny... She should have been easy to find but both her parents were actors and when Dru was told she had gone to them, she also learned that they suggested that she move on... Seemed that the lovely and talented Bunny might begin to be competition for her mother...

Readers will need to be closely watching the twists and turns as the novel's story gets more complex as the investigation moves on. Possible sexual connections at the school became known and a number of different officials found to possibly be involved! Who did what to whom?

Sometimes, for me, it is only a vibe I pick up of a certain character--perhaps by the way the author creates that individual. So I was beginning to consider the possibility, only to have the book continue on, end, and it was confirmed for me! Not as good as being certain about who the bad guy is, but I still enjoyed the ending, albeit, a very surprising, exhilarating climax that will keep readers on edge, wondering if Dru and Lake were going to make it out of that scene! Have to admit I especially liked how that happened! LOL

Soooo many writers, so many books. this is one author I'd like to stop and read all of her work, but that's just not possible for me. But it does show potential readers that I really enjoyed what turns out to be both an amazing mystery and a thriller. Oh, and by the way, you're bound to remember this fantastic story whenever you see this along the road, heading your way! Highly recommended!

 Be sure to click over to see where they are heading!

GABixlerReviews

Gerrie Ferris Finger won The Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Minotaur Best First Traditional Novel for THE END GAME, published by St. Martin's on April 27, 2010. The second in the series, THE LAST TEMPTATION, will release July 2012 from Five Star. Five Star will also releasse the third in the series, THE DEVIL LAUGHED, in 2013.

Gerrie grew up in Missouri then went South to write for The Atlanta Constitution. She traveled the Tobacco Roads of Georgia and Alabama and the narrow, historic streets of New Orleans. She wrote about Natchez, Mississippi's unique history, Florida's diverse population, and the Outer Banks struggle to keep light houses from toppling into the sea. Visits to Cape Hatteras resulted in her historical paranormal, THE GHOST SHIP. 

WHISPERING, a romance, is set on one of Georgia's barrier islands.

Three books in the Laura Kate O'Connell Plantation Series were set in southwest Georgia's plantation region. They are: WHEN SERPENTS DIE, HONORED DAUGHTERS and WAGON DOGS. The print editions of the Laura Kate Series will be released beginning January 2012

MERCILESS is the first in her novella series. HEARTLESS is the second. 

www.gerrieferrisfinger.com

Email: gfinger@mindspring.com

Blog: www.gerrieferrisfinger.blogspot.com

www.crimewritersblog.blogspot.com

The Demeter Code, Third in Series, by Russell Brooks, Best Yet! Check out Ridley Fox and Nita Parris!

Meet Ridley Fox!

“Watch where you’re going, dammit,” snapped the woman. Doctor Nita Parris had bumped the woman’s shoulder as she passed through the revolving door, rushing from the street into the hotel lobby. Parris turned halfway around, raising an open palm. “Sorry.” But she wasn’t. The woman had the audacity to blame her. She was the one texting on her mobile while walking, and in a crowded room on top of that. Her teenage self would’ve cussed her out rudely, or even slapped the phone out of her hand. Not the typical behavior of a woman with a PhD in biochemistry. She could hear her aunt being vexed and breaking out the Barbadian accent. “Why yuh gunnah stoop to she level for? You better than dat.” Those were the days when Parris was quick-tempered and got into a lot of fights—and won them. Even some of the boys didn’t dare trouble her. She’d proven repeatedly that she could stand her ground with them, and even out-sprint them. When she’d wound up in the headmaster’s office—which had been frequently—he’d always ranted on about how bright a future she had, considering that she was one of the school’s top students. He’d pointed out that with her aptitudes she ought to be setting an example. But that was the past. 
She wouldn’t stoop to the level of some self-absorbed socialite. Especially when her asset was eight floors above, fearing for his life. Despite having spent the last five years living in the DC area, she had never been inside any of its hotels—even for an op. To anyone else in the lobby who happened to notice her, she was probably just another twenty-something black woman... 
Observers would likely think that she was either a guest, there on business, or a lawyer meeting a client. Either one was fine by her. Parris scanned the lobby on her way to the elevators. Aside from catching the occasional whiff of perfume or aftershave, she spotted two Wall-Street types, laughing over a beer, through the doorway of the hotel restaurant. On the opposite side, two children were chasing each other around their suitcases while their parents addressed the receptionist...

Parris licked her fingertip and ran it across both eyebrows. “Dewan, you see me yet?”
“I got you.” Dewan Douglas—her newest tech support—answered through her earpiece. He would’ve hacked into the hotel’s closed-circuit television long before she arrived—playing big brother from his safe haven at Langley, Virginia. It helped, but it wasn’t perfect. There were always spots the CCTV was blind to, and a professional would’ve been smart enough to hang out in those areas to avoid being seen. Parris brushed a strand of hair from her jacket sleeve. “Gym fanatic at seven o’clock.” 
“I saw him,” Dewan replied. “He arrived there with some chick, who’s now on her way down from their suite. They’ve been guests for the past four days, so I wouldn’t worry about him.” 
She trusted that Dewan would’ve used face-recognition software, to locate and identify Gym Boy through the hotel’s CCTV archives, and cross-referenced it with the hotel’s guest list. She headed for the elevator, grabbing her cell phone from her belt clip to call her asset, Tim Weyland. “Timothy?”
“Who…who’s this?” “You know who it is. I’m on my way up.” 
“Are you armed? Because I know they’re going to be coming for me with some very big guns.” He spoke fast, so he must be scared shitless. 
“You’re going to have to calm down and let us worry about who may be coming after you.” Parris pressed the elevator button. One of the six doors opened but it was already going down. She did a quick once-over of the three people who walked out. Nothing suspicious. 
“How can you tell me to calm down?” Weyland still spoke at warp-speed. “You’re not the one they’re trying to kill.”

~~~

The Demeter Code

By Russell Brooks

When I read Brooks' first book, and checked out some of his pics on site, I decided that this author could play his own main character! Don't you think?! And who better to play his partner, Nita Parris, fellow Canadian and the beautiful boss of the Forensics Lab on Bones, one of my favorite TV shows!

I was hooked by the first book, but I have to say that The Demeter Code is even better. Brooks has spent a lot of time reading research and his novel reflects this, as well as the reference list and interview information in his acknowledgments section. The topic is, in many ways, scary--one of those concepts that readers immediately realize that this could really happen... The result, therefore, had a world-wide impact--thankfully only in fiction.

Ridley Fox is fun, dedicated, but strong-headed. He wants answers--now. Nita Parris works to keep a balance in the team, but doesn't always succeed. What she does do is watch Fox's back, even when he's doing something, well, stupid, even if there is a good solid reason to do it! 

Tim Weyland was an asset being questioned regarding the whereabouts of Umari, a former CIA informant who had turned. It was Nita who was working with him, but Weyland was not doing what he'd been told and before long, they were both fighting off men who were trying to kill him. Now he was under medical care, hurt in that battle, and unable to help in locating Umari. 

“You kept him alive,” Fox said. “That’s what counts.” If there was one thing Fox admired about Parris, it was her tenacity. Like a pit-bull, once she sunk her teeth into her target she never let go. But he accepted her frustration, keeping in mind that Umari was originally a CIA informant who had turned. Using the skills he’d gained from his training, he had masterminded the bombings of two American Embassies and a cruise ship. While searching for him, the Agency discovered that a local security firm that Weyland worked for—Bismarck Securities—was bankrolling Umari’s activities. Weyland’s job was to hack into networks of Bismarck’s clients in order to test the strengths and weaknesses of their systems. Parris not only recruited him but was also his handler. For the past three months, he’d fed them intel every two weeks.
~~~

Fox, in the meantime, was on a similar mission to try to meet with Alghafari, a Syrian arms dealer... Fox would be going in as David Conlon, a mercenary who Fox had to take out. And for which he got chewed out by his superiors--in their work, killers were potential assets! He was accepted by Alghafari, having been willing to do small jobs from time to time, which could mean just about anything. And the first thing he was asked to do was to deliver a package! Which turned out to have everybody chasing after it!

Alghafari slid his empty glass toward Fox and got up. “For identification purposes, you’ll introduce yourself as Thor’s Hammer. Once the delivery is made your fee will be wired to your account.”
In other words, Alghafari would pay him once he’d paid himself. They shook hands and Alghafari and his goons left.
~~~

I had to chuckle at Ridley Fox, alias David Conlon, and now was using the introduction Thor's Hammer! This is just a small sample of the underlying humor in the novel...

In the meantime, one of his line superiors, who was looking to run for a higher office, was out to get Fox out of her hair if she could. Not liking his attitude, but using the psychological assessment that had been made years ago when Fox's fiancee had been killed, as the basis upon which she demanded that he be watched closely...

But now, an entirely new issue came to light. company secrets had been stolen from a company, Sementem. Collins needed money for his family and didn't know what else to do until he'd been approached by a European man to get the information... But it didn't take much time for him to find what he'd done was...deadly...for when he got home he couldn't find his wife and then the lights went out. He'd called her number thinking that was the easiest way to find her...but it had a new ringer playing a different song.

Collins and his wife were killed... The $200,000 he'd been paid had no use now, even though it had been deposited into his account...

And soon autopsies started be done and the bodies were filled with internal holes... And at Camp Iron Eagle in Afghanistan, there had been 13 bodies with the same probably first, results... This became the highest priority...

But a young employee had been blamed. Sparky was her name and Fox had to find her and then took unauthorized action to protect her...and...more... I have to admit I was captured at the end of the book as Brooks mentioned that this novel has his first sex scene in it! So, of course, I had to give you a glimpse if you want to take it before you read the book...LOL There are also other video readings from the book available on the authors utube videos or his site...

“We did autopsies. The lining of their stomach cavities were in terrible shape. They were all porous. I mean, God, I’m talking about dozens of holes. I thought at first that they had been exposed to some new chemical weapon, but that theory was ruled out.” 
“What brought on the allergic reactions?”
“I’m…I’m not sure.” 
“Then tell me what you are sure about.”
 “I…I believe that it may have been something they ate.” Grafton swallowed. “There was a food inspector, or quality control expert—whatever you want to call her—that was snooping around. The head of the dining hall couldn’t stand her, and General Jeansonne thought that she was becoming a nuisance. Jesus, she was only doing her job. They set things up to make her get the blame.”
 “They what?”
“She was set up. It was all a cover-up by the army. She had a nickname. Sparky, I think. She saw all the problems and potential health hazards in the dining halls and in the kitchens. And she cleaned things up. I mean, really cleaned things up.”

~~~

Parris hung up and did a U-Turn, heading back down the road to SR-37. On the way she drove by a sign indicating that sweet corn was for sale. She didn’t think anything of it at first, but something at the back of her mind told her that she should buy some—not for eating, but for a testing comparison to the soil samples she’d collect later on.

“I’m…I’m fine for now,” Parris answered, pausing between words as though she was catching her breath. “I’m getting the hell out of here.” Fox glanced over at Sparks, who was staring back at him. 

She obviously sensed that something was wrong by the tone of his voice. “What happened?” 

“I must’ve rattled some cages down here,” said Parris as her breathing became more under control. “Because the men who just pulled me over weren’t State Troopers.”

Whew! This intriguing bio-terrorism thriller becomes horrifying, just because of the premise upon which the story is based... It definitely surpasses the first two, but that comes down to the research and hypothesis upon which it is based. The basic characters, including Dewan, their computer expert, are exciting to see in action and do keep readers happy in their work against the enemy, but, for me, the terror came when considering the "what if" reality of Brooks' latest! The story is provacative, fascinating and down-right scary... Sure glad Ridley and Nita are on the job! Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

Prior to becoming a writer, Russell Brooks considers himself fortunate that he had the opportunity to be an Indiana Hoosier Track Champion and Canadian Track Team member in both the 100 and 200 meters. It was during Brooks's travels across Canada, the United States, and Europe, that he came up with his story ideas and came up with outlines for his future thrillers which he would later writer. His BS in Biology from Indiana University helped him to write his first spy thriller, Pandora's Succession,followed by the short story collection Unsavory Delicacies. The latest addition to the spy series is The Demeter Code. So far, it appears that this series is far from over. The standalone thriller, Chill Run, was released afterwards. What makes Brooks's spy series unique is rather than focus on plots which strictly revolve around political matters—both domestic and international—Brooks is more creative by combining stories that are literally ripped from the headlines and weaving them with hardcore science and producing the most non-predictable plots imaginable. As a result, Brooks's works have been compared to those of a young Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, and even Dean Koontz. Although his goal is to keep readers in suspense by writing edge-of-your seat and page-turning thrillers, he may occasionally dash off a short story, entertain viewers with dramatic readings, or play his violin. Russell Brooks currently lives in Montreal, Quebec. If you want to be kept up to date on Russell Brooks's activities—which include new releases, touring locations, speaking engagements and contests, please sign up to the mailinglist. If you have any comments or suggestions, please email Russell at: russellbrookswriter@gmail.com