THE TARGET by LJ Sellers is the second book in her Dallas series featuring undercover FBI Agent Jamie Dallas. Dallas' first case was with Agent River in Eugene, Oregon helping Detective Wade Jackson. Sellers introduced the Dallas Series in THE TRIGGER. THE TARGET is Sellers' newest adventure in undercover work in San Diego. I think Agent Jamie Dallas is her to stay.
LJ Sellers does a wonderful job of developing her protagonist Agent Jamie Dallas as the key character driving her story. THE TARGET is a technothriller focusing on the BIOTECH industry. As usual Sellers gives characters, the readers can connect with because each character, has a great back story.
Sellers explains how Dallas goes undercover to find out details of the product tampering, a warehouse destroyed by fire killing the night watchman, and the death of an FBI agent. The San Diego field office's investigation is trying to find who is tampering with products in the cutthroat BIOTECH industry? THE TARGET'S protagonist is undercover Agent Jamie Dallas working with Agent River as her backup field agent the undercover investigation. Dallas' undercover assignment is to find the person or persons responsible for sabotaging product lines, burning down warehouses, responsible for unexplained deaths
We learn immediately that this case she is being sent in undercover is going to be a difficult and dangerous. It involves the death of an FBI agent, Joe Palmer in San Diego. The death of an agent is always bad but in this instance it has a personal side. Agent Palmer and his wife raised Agent Carla River, River asks for Dallas, who is a friend and colleague, to come to San Diego to help find the answers to circumstances behind the deaths of two people, a warehouse fire, and the threat of product tampering. .
Sellers helps us understand who Jamie Dallas is both as an undercover agent and her personal life. Dallas doesn't believe in coincidences. She thinks there is a connection to the death of a security guard, death of, a researcher, the work of an arsonist setting a warehouse fire, and a death celebrity who happens to be a major stockholder of one BioTech companies involved in the fires and product tampering..
The story details how the BIOTECH industry plays an important role the business environment in San Diego. Sellers gives the reader a good background on the issues going on with companies who bring products to market and the fight for market share. Products issues in the health care industry make the story real to the readers. She brings to life the economic problems companies face. The two companies are fighting to bring health care product focus on helping people lose weight. We get a great understanding of the side characters and the role they play in the story.
The book's pace builds slowly to a fast moving turn of events. Seller's story changes direction with unexpected twist and turns from the time Dallas arrives in San Diego. Sellers does a great job of helping fans understand the similarities of the background of River and Dallas and what they faced growing up. We learn River and Dallas' back story making both agents human. Events, such as Dallas having a death in the family in the middle of her undercover assignment and she has to fly home. We see River trying to honor the death of her mentor, Agent Palmer in San Diego without loosing the new life she has in Eugene, Oregon. River would like to resolve the case in San Diego so she could return to Eugene, Oregon.. Dallas and River's personal issues are the same the problems and issue Sellers' readers face each day. The readers feel a personal connection Dallas.
Sellers help us see the Dallas character growing and becoming a stronger person. We understand why she loves undercover work. We also see Dallas accepting the sacrifices and the dangers of her undercover work. Dallas has a passion for the importance of her undercover assignments and is willing to face danger the job demands.
One thing I like most about how Sellers writes is how she presents her fans more than one case for the police and FBI to solve. It is amazing how the two stories develop side by side, and we won't see if they connect until we get to the end of the book. THE TARGET details how Agent Carla River deals with the local police investigation of the death of a celebrity stockholder River prove it. River agrees with Dallas there is a connection. Sellers show us how Agent River deals with a young, aggressive detective to get local cooperation and support..
I won't tell you any spoilers in my review. You will have to read the book to find out how Agent Palmer died and why and what Agent Dallas finds out about products about to be released by both companies. The exciting ending and what Dallas had to endure to bring her case to a surprising end.
LJ Sellers keeps us on edge and readers will feel the suspense and experience the thrill of an unpredictable ending of THE TARGET. This ending is just unexpected. I enjoyed how Sellers made us part of the investigative team including the local and federal investigation and importance of Dallas's undercover work. We see how everything comes together, and we learn that undercover work is dangerous. I give this book a 5 star rating and must read recommendation.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
If you are a fan of C.J. Lyons, you will not be disappointed, nor surprised at the fast pace of FAREWELL TO DREAMS: A novel of FATAL INSOMNIA. From page one all the way to the end. I gave this story a 5 star ranking because C.J. earned it one word at a time. Being an ER doctor turned author, no one can tell a story of what goes on in an ER better than C.J. Lyons. She uses her knowledge of the stress of life and death decisions and helps us understand the life of an ER doctor.
Lyons story of an ER doctor, Angela Rossi and strange happenings in her ER room. She meets Detective Matthew Ryder as a patient. Ryder is the new detective assigned to work with the Advocacy Center.
The ER and the Advocacy Center is dealing with attacks of young women who have all been tortured and seem to have mental issues. That is part of Angela's stress. The next area of her stress is the strained relationship with her family. Angela feels the center of her stress is all symptom's loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and strange feelings in her hands arm. Angela is ignoring the symptoms for now.
We find even the best laid plans sometimes take on a life of their own. ER Doc, Angela Rossi, meets Detective Matthew Ryder, and while she is treating him and talking about the advocacy centers work, an emergency patient arrives on the ER drive entrance. She has multiple gunshots and is not doing well. C.J uses the arrival of the gunshot victim to insert the first major twist in the story.
Lyons explains how Angela has to use her skills and knowledge to save a dying patient. Rossi cracks the patient's chest and reaches into her chest and is holding the patient's heart in her hand. As she lifts the heart all of Angela's symptoms take over, everything seems to stop, Rossi hears the patient talking to her. In addition to telling Rossi, she forgives her for not saving her life, but the patient gives her a message telling Rossi about the crime and what needs to be done.
The message (you will have to read the book) stuns Rossi. Rossi comes back to action finding the Detective Ryder helping her with what needs to be done to keep her breathing. Ryder tells Rossi the patient is a nun at the neighborhood Catholic church just three blocks away. When the crash crew arrives, Rossi gets to work. Ryder starts interviewing the EMT and guards to gather details of how the patient arrived at the hospital ER.
Now all of this action takes place in the first couple of chapters of FAREWELL TO DREAMS. C.J. has always kept us on pins and needles, but this story is going to be the talk of the genre of romantic/mystery/thrillers, because it has something for all of us. This murdered nun becomes the stimulus of the investigation. Suspense builds something is not right at the church, the area around the church, the owners of the businesses, the politicians, two major crime families, and designer drugs.
Rossi comes in contact with unsavory people; Ryder effort to understand her, and her ex-husband and her estranged family are suddenly being inserted into Rossi's life. Lyons does an excellent job of weaving each of Rossi's strained family relationships into an important part of the story. Everyone that matters to Rossi seems to expect her to fix things.
Ryder is not sure where Rossi is getting her information (Maybe Rossi does not know) but so far she has not been wrong. When he finds out what is going on with Rossi, he is stunned.
While all of these symptoms getting worse, Rossi finally decides to find out what is going on with her health. Lyons does a great job of describing what is going through Rossi's mind as she goes to see her neurologist. Whatever is causing the problem could be the end of her ER career or not. Her neurologist is a close friend and Rossi knows she will tell her what she needs to know. Rossi's neurologist explains how Fatal Insomnia might affect her life.
Rossi does not like the tentative answers. Here is where Lyons shows us her writing skills as she takes Angela through much of the drama of bad news but helps her she what she needs to do. You have to read FAREWELL TO DREAMS to know how this fast roller coaster takes the turns, twists, and provides a great surprise ending.
As I have said at the beginning of my review, FAREWELL TO DREAMS is a fast paced medical, romantic, suspense, thriller, a unique fatal illness surfacing, crime families fighting each other, and is true Lyons story of struggle and hope with a great ending. If you are not a fan, you are in for a treat, and I think you will be joining the Lyons fan club.
Everything starts in the ER, and it ends in the ER. I recommend C.J. Lyons, FAREWELL TO DREAMS: A novel of FATAL INSOMNIA, as a must read and give it 5 stars.
Lyons story of an ER doctor, Angela Rossi and strange happenings in her ER room. She meets Detective Matthew Ryder as a patient. Ryder is the new detective assigned to work with the Advocacy Center.
The ER and the Advocacy Center is dealing with attacks of young women who have all been tortured and seem to have mental issues. That is part of Angela's stress. The next area of her stress is the strained relationship with her family. Angela feels the center of her stress is all symptom's loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and strange feelings in her hands arm. Angela is ignoring the symptoms for now.
We find even the best laid plans sometimes take on a life of their own. ER Doc, Angela Rossi, meets Detective Matthew Ryder, and while she is treating him and talking about the advocacy centers work, an emergency patient arrives on the ER drive entrance. She has multiple gunshots and is not doing well. C.J uses the arrival of the gunshot victim to insert the first major twist in the story.
Lyons explains how Angela has to use her skills and knowledge to save a dying patient. Rossi cracks the patient's chest and reaches into her chest and is holding the patient's heart in her hand. As she lifts the heart all of Angela's symptoms take over, everything seems to stop, Rossi hears the patient talking to her. In addition to telling Rossi, she forgives her for not saving her life, but the patient gives her a message telling Rossi about the crime and what needs to be done.
The message (you will have to read the book) stuns Rossi. Rossi comes back to action finding the Detective Ryder helping her with what needs to be done to keep her breathing. Ryder tells Rossi the patient is a nun at the neighborhood Catholic church just three blocks away. When the crash crew arrives, Rossi gets to work. Ryder starts interviewing the EMT and guards to gather details of how the patient arrived at the hospital ER.
Now all of this action takes place in the first couple of chapters of FAREWELL TO DREAMS. C.J. has always kept us on pins and needles, but this story is going to be the talk of the genre of romantic/mystery/thrillers, because it has something for all of us. This murdered nun becomes the stimulus of the investigation. Suspense builds something is not right at the church, the area around the church, the owners of the businesses, the politicians, two major crime families, and designer drugs.
Rossi comes in contact with unsavory people; Ryder effort to understand her, and her ex-husband and her estranged family are suddenly being inserted into Rossi's life. Lyons does an excellent job of weaving each of Rossi's strained family relationships into an important part of the story. Everyone that matters to Rossi seems to expect her to fix things.
Ryder is not sure where Rossi is getting her information (Maybe Rossi does not know) but so far she has not been wrong. When he finds out what is going on with Rossi, he is stunned.
While all of these symptoms getting worse, Rossi finally decides to find out what is going on with her health. Lyons does a great job of describing what is going through Rossi's mind as she goes to see her neurologist. Whatever is causing the problem could be the end of her ER career or not. Her neurologist is a close friend and Rossi knows she will tell her what she needs to know. Rossi's neurologist explains how Fatal Insomnia might affect her life.
Rossi does not like the tentative answers. Here is where Lyons shows us her writing skills as she takes Angela through much of the drama of bad news but helps her she what she needs to do. You have to read FAREWELL TO DREAMS to know how this fast roller coaster takes the turns, twists, and provides a great surprise ending.
As I have said at the beginning of my review, FAREWELL TO DREAMS is a fast paced medical, romantic, suspense, thriller, a unique fatal illness surfacing, crime families fighting each other, and is true Lyons story of struggle and hope with a great ending. If you are not a fan, you are in for a treat, and I think you will be joining the Lyons fan club.
Everything starts in the ER, and it ends in the ER. I recommend C.J. Lyons, FAREWELL TO DREAMS: A novel of FATAL INSOMNIA, as a must read and give it 5 stars.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Jodie Renner an associate of many authors and friend of MINE & of many readers has recently been recognized by Writer's Digest for her book, "Style That Sizzles & Pacing For Power", the award was given to Jodie before she had released the book under a new title, "Fire Up Your Fiction".
I speak from experience from a writer who needs all the help I can get Renner's books have been very helpful with her tips and the resources she recommends.
https://mail.google.com/mail/
I speak from experience from a writer who needs all the help I can get Renner's books have been very helpful with her tips and the resources she recommends.
https://mail.google.com/mail/
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