PERFECT SHOT....A VERY SPECIAL AGENT HUNTS DOWN A TICKING HIJACKED NUKE...(*****)

 Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi (2023)

           Wow. And double wow. I tore through this book faster than the bullets that come flying in all directions at Special Agent Alexandra 'Alex' Martel. For every reader who loves diving into a non-stop, perpetual motion international thriller. this one's a must.......this is the epitome of Action-Adventure with two capital "A"s.

          FBI Special Agent Martel, combat veteran, ex-paramedic and world class sniper is on loan to Interpol for her 'particular set of skills'. And she's instantly plunged into thwarting an attempt by terrorists to swipe a nuclear warhead.

            But in this world of increasing, dire global threats and double dealing espionage, nothing (and nobody) is what they appear to be. And that includes a murdered young woman whom Alex once befriended in Paris and now revealed as an MI5 British agent......an agent who may have died uncovering intel related to Alex's hunt for the stolen warhead.

            Up against continuous violent action, Alex finds herself at odds with her new unwanted partner CIA special operative Caleb. But you can bet your Sig Sauer firearms they've got each other backs when bullets and fists start coming at them at every twist and turn of the plot And once Alex is provoked into action, it doesn't bode well for her many assailants.

           From the opening firefight to the slam bang clock-ticking-down finale, 'Perfect Shot' gave me perfect thrill ride, guaranteeing I'll be first in line to read Alex's next adventure. And I'm pretty sure everyone's figured out by now that I'm talking 5 star review here.,,,,,, (*****)

THE PORCELAIN MAKER.....EPIC, LOVE, SUSPENSE, DANGER, ARTWORK......AND HIMMLER! (*****)

 The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy (2023)

 

         What a stunning debut novel.........and what a heart-wrenching, immersive reading experience this was. This book captivated me on so many different levels. It begins as an intriguing family mystery at a Cincinnati auction house in 1993 and then plunges backward into the darkest, most horrific era of world history.

         As the evil of Nazis and fascism spreads across 1920's Germany, we're introduced to star-crossed lovers Max and Bettina, both brilliant creative artists in their respective fields. Max is an Austrian Jewish architect planning the Autobahn and Bettina's already making a name for herself as a groundbreaking avant-garde artist.

        Like many others, Max and Bettina unwisely remain in Germany until it's too late to escape. Captured and sent to Dachau concentration camp, Max survives by his talent for sculpting porcelain figurines for no less than Nazi commander Heinrich Himmler.

           While desperately trying to contact Max,, Bettina joins a resistance movement by marrying a repulsive SS officer for the purpose of spying on him. The non stop peril these two artistically gifted soulmates find themselves in reaches excruciating levels of suspense and overpowering heartbreak.

           In those 50 years later flash-forwards, Max and Bettina's story is painstakingly pieced together by Bettina's daughter Clara, the person seeking out figurines at that Cincinnati auction, the ones possibly crafted at Dachau. And here's where author Sarah Freethy delivers all the emotional gut-punches guaranteed to leave readers shaken and tearful.

           With its sweeping epic history, aching romance and unbearable tension, I'd consider this as one of the Must Reads of this or any year. An absolute 5 star bell ringer. (*****)